Chicken Cacciatore

"A slow cooker, or Crock-Pot (a trademark that is often used generically in the USA), ...is a countertop electrical cooking appliance that maintains a relatively low temperature (compared to other cooking methods like baking, boiling, and frying) for many hours, allowing unattended cooking of pot roast, stew, and other suitable dishes." (Wikipedia of all places). Like a dutch oven, the Crock-Pot's domed lid is seated in a groove in the crock's edge. This collects the water vapor from the cooking process and forms a vapor barrier, sealing the pot.

What I love about a slow cooker is that I can put a roast or other suitable meal in the crock-pot, turn it on and forget it. This is especially advantageous for Sunday dinners after church or busy days where both Becky and I don't have much time in the day to cook. We chose the Crock-Pot theme for our Thursday dinners because, right now Becky has a nutrition class on-line in the late afternoons and she wanted something she could put on that morning and forget about until it was time to eat.

So for today's dinner, we are going to prepare Chicken Cacciatore in a Crock-Pot and serve it over steamed rice.

Chicken Cacciatore

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4-5 hrs on high, 6-7 hrs on low.

Serves: 8

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp chicken base, (or bouillon) disolved in 1 cup warm water (I use "Better Than Bouillon®" from Costco)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp Italian seasonings

4 cans (14.5 oz size) Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 whole sweet bell pepper, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms (or 8 oz can sliced mushrooms)

Serve over cooked pasta or steamed rice

Parmesan Cheese and fresh chopped basil

Place chicken breasts in crock pot and add chicken stock (made from the base or bullion). Add remaining ingredients. Cook on high 4-5 hrs or low for 6-7 hours (add aprox. 1 hr to cooking time if cooking chicken from frozen). Remove chicken and cut each breast in half. Thicken sauce with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cornstarch. Place each breast on top of rice or noodles and smother with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil.

Enjoy