Chicken Cacciatore

Mid week dinners are frantic for me. As soon as I walk in the door from work, I have to have a meal planned AND all the ingredients ready to go, otherwise any delay will push dinner time closer to 8:00 pm. I’ve learned to improvise, be flexible, and keep it simple!  During the week I cook 3 meals. On day four we are all on our own with leftovers or pizza deliver, and I don’t usually cook on Fridays. Those are reserved for going out. So here was my frenzy tonight!

Chicken Cacciatore

• About three pounds of chicken (I had chicken thighs)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• Olive oil
• 1 24 oz POM crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons oregano, crumbled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 cup of dry red wine (Zinfandel was open, so that’s what I used)

Drizzle about 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and warm over medium heat. Brown chicken turning once for about 10 minutes.

While cooking chicken, pour yourself a glass of wine (this is important, don’t miss this step!) 😉

Remove chicken and drain oil, leaving about a tablespoon. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft and mixture is fragrant. Add tomatoes, wine, oregano, salt, pepper and bay leaf.  Add chicken back to sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce, cover, and simmer for about 35 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and serve with hot cooked pasta, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Delicious meal in less than an hour!