Chicken Cacciatore recipe - Crockpot Style

When Robb and I were first married I made this recipe for him from our Better Homes and Garden cookbook that we got for our wedding. It calls for 2 cloves of garlic and I didn't know the difference between a clove or a bulb... So needless to say, it was VERY garlicky and Robb LOVED it! However I refuse to make it like that ever since. Took forever for the garlic smell to get out of my hands! Now I have a garlic press.... but I still don't want to sweat garlic for two weeks...

Anyway, we made this crock pot style for Maddy's Sweetheart dinner a couple weeks ago.

Chicken Cacciatore

In a large skillet cook 2 medium onions, sliced and 2 cloves garlic, minced, in 2 tablespoons hot cooking oil over medium heat until onions are tender. Put onions and garlic into the crockpot.

Add more cooking oil to skillet, if necessary. In the same skillet brown one 2.5 to 3 pounds of chicken cut up over medium heat about 15 minutes. I use chicken breasts cut up into bite sized pieces, then fry them up until slightly golden, turning them to brown evenly. When done, put the meat in the crock pot.

In the skillet, combine one 16 oz can tomatoes, cut up, one 8 ounce can tomato sauce, 1 medium green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces or smaller, 1 or 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons dried oregano or basil, crushed, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat up and then pour over the meat and onions in the crock pot.

Leave in crock pot for about 3-4 hours on low. Take out bay leaves before serving over rice.

The original recipe, this was all done on the stove top and included 1/4 cup dry white wine in the last 30 minutes of cooking, but I leave that part out because I never have the stuff handy. I've made it once with that and it does give it a unique flavor. and I'm not sure how it would work in the crock pot version.

Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy!