Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Here's an "I'll taste even better tomorrow" recipe. There's a solid 30 minutes of chopping, skinning and prepping involved, but the results are worth the effort. 

Active Time: 35 minutes

Crock pot simmer time: 3-4 hours on high heat; 8-9 hours on low

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 cups aromatics such as onions, leeks and fennel, sliced
• 3 to 4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced 
• 8-12 ounces mushrooms, such as mini bellas, stems trimmed and cleaned, cut in half
• 1 ( 28-ounce can) whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped (reserve juice)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano 
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf, broken in half
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons white flour
• Fresh torn basil

Directions

1. Pour olive oil in the bottom of cooker. Layer half of aromatics over bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add chicken pieces and cover with remaining aromatics. Top with peppers, mushrooms and chopped tomatoes.
2. Whisk tomato juice from canned tomatoes with tomato paste, wine, garlic, oregano, fennel seeds, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and red pepper together. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Place bay leaf pieces in pot and cover. Cook on low heat 7 to 9 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours.
3. An hour before turning off heat, ladle a cup of the hot liquid into a bowl. Whisk flour into hot liquid to make a paste, then whisk paste into slow cooker liquid. Let simmer another hour, or until brew has thickened and chicken is tender to the bone. Stir in basil just before serving. May be served over pasta.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Jan. 23, 2012.