Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

The dreaded bar exam is lurking around the corner.  In 16 days, I’ll be sitting down in a crowded, stuffy classroom, surrounded by over-stressed, nerve-ridden students waiting to take a two day-12 hour exam that will decide whether or not we are fit to practice law in Minnesota.  Sounds great huh?  Bring on the fun!

While I wait in anticipation of this joyous event, I have been cramming every single piece of law I can into my over-sized head.  It’s gotten to the point that when I have conversations, they consist of me telling someone about a certain area of law.  “Hey! So you’re never gonna believe this crazy piece of information! You can use prior inconsistent statements to impeach a witness. AND it can come in as substantive evidence.” Yeah, I know. Crazy. But it’s true!!

So since I can only speak in legal jargon, I’ve decided to stick to crock pot recipes for the next two weeks.  Anything that takes more than 20 minutes to cook makes me feel guilty for reading something that isn’t cluttered with italic, Latin phrases. My poor summer fun reading list has been set aside (sorry Jessi Witkins!) And this recipe only calls for ingredients that most people have on hand at all times.  No need for a grocery run.

The heat index in Minneapolis has started to decline (we live in house without air conditioning. the last couple days were less than pleasant) so using the crock pot isn’t completely unreasonable.   Plus, after a full day of studying, a warm meal sure feels great! And hell, who doesn’t love chicky catch with some long ass rice (much love to my boy Tom Haverford).

Ingredients

  • 1 large chicken breast (could use 6 chicken thighs, with bone without skin for added flavor)
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1/2 large onion, sliced
  • 1/2 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and fresh pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh herbs such as basil or parsley
  • 1 tsp of rosemary garlic seasoning (optional. found this fun spice at Target and tossed it in for kicks)

 

Directions

There are two ways to start off this recipe, the quick version and a little bit longer version.  If you go with the longer version, the overall meal will taste richer, but you aren’t sacrificing too much with the quick version.

Quick version: Toss chicken, tomatoes, peppers, onion, zucchini, oregano, bay leaf, and herbs into slow cooker.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Place on low for 8-10 hours.  About an hour before serving, check to see if the sauce is less thick.  If so, remove lid and cook for an additional hour. (or add flour to thicken sauce).

Somewhat longer version: Lightly brown chicken in pan. Place in slow cooker.  Respray pan with non-stick spray.  Cook peppers, onion, and zucchini til juices run and vegetables are soft, just a few minutes. Add to slow cooker.  Mix in tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, and herbs.  Cook for 8-10 hours on low.  With this version, the flavors will be richer, and the sauce will be thicker.

For both versions: After 8-10 hours, remove bay leaf.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over whole-wheat angel hair spaghetti and enjoy!

Adapted From: Skinny Taste

 Serves 4. 1/4 chicken and 1/2 cup of pasta and veggies per serving. 6 WW plus points per serving.

You may also like

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *