Chicken Cacciatore

I found this recipe in a newspaper and thought it looked like a winner. It seemed simple too, which is something I look for. This is one of those meals you can prepare on a weeknight and people will think you worked all day on it!

I used Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes for this recipe. I have really gotten addicted to them and use them all the time now. The recipe I had called for 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of celery seed. I have every spice in the world in my cabinet thanks to Penzey's, but I was out of both of these. Instead, I used 1-1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and it worked great. The recipe also called for 1 3-lb frying chicken, but I used 4 bone in chicken breasts and removed the skin. They weighed in at 3.84 pounds.

Chicken Cacciatore

4 (3.5 to 4 lb.) bone in chicken breast, skin removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves

In a large skillet, brown chicken in hot olive oil. Remove from skillet. And onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet and stir to combine. Add chicken and cover with sauce. Cover skillet and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Cook uncovered for an additional 20 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally; until chicken is tender and sauce is thickened. Remove bay leaves. Serve with cooked pasta.