Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Cacciatore

Anyone who knows my husband (his name is Richard) knows that he LOVES spicy food. And when I say LOVES (in all caps), I'm not exaggerating. At any given time in our house, you can look in the fridge or pantry and find at least one supremely spicy snack that Rich regularly devours when he returns home from work each day. Ghost pepper peanuts and Ass Kickin' Original salsa are among his favorites, I believe, but he'll pretty much take anything that totes an "insanely hot!" warning on its label. When I tell him something is (or should be) spicy, it's a bit of a double-edged sword; he's both excited to try it and doubtful that he'll actually agree. 

I'm telling you this as a bit of a warning; when I made this recipe, Rich said "this actually has some heat to it." So yes, it's a bit spicy. But it's also unbelievably good. Don't like spice? Reduce the crushed red pepper, or leave it out all together. I'm pretty sure you'll still love it. 

Cooking Light gets all the credit for this one, and I've linked the original recipe for you below; as you'll see, I really only made slight changes.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Original recipe by Phillip Rhodes, Cooking Light (March 2014) - click here for original recipe

All-purpose flour

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup tomato puree

2 tbs capers

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 can unsalted petite diced tomatoes

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Add flour to shallow bowl and dredge chicken thighs in flour. Shake off excess.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil, swirling to coat. Add chicken thighs and cook for 4 minutes on each side. 

Add chicken to slow cooker and reduce heat under skillet to medium. 

Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to skillet and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add wine and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker.

Add tomato puree, capers, crushed red pepper, dried oregano, black pepper, kosher salt and diced tomatoes (with juice) to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta as desired and sprinkle with parsley. 

Until next time...

Cheers!

Some Like It Hot: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

If you ever ask my husband what kind of food is his favorite, he won't give you a conventional answer...he won't say "Italian" (which, in fact, he actually hates) or "Mexican." He'll just say "Spicy." And it's true. He likes everything from ragin' hot buffalo wings to spicy tuna rolls and all things in between. I've also always been a fan of spicy food myself, so a lot of the food that we eat in our house has a good bit of kick to it. Not the kind of hot that will make you sweat profusely and beg for a glass of milk - because who really wants that anyway? - but the kind of heat that warms your taste buds and just plain makes you happy.

All of that being said, I know that not everyone loves a spicy dish. I also know a lot of people who love some fire in their food. So, today, I've got a great recipe for Jambalaya that can be spiced up or toned down depending on your preference. Try it - you won't regret it!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

1 lb boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 mild sausage links, casing removed

1 (28 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped*

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp cayenne pepper*

1/2 lb frozen shrimp, peeled & deveined 

1 cup instant rice

*optional - for less heat, omit these ingredients

Combine first 10 ingredients (or 8 if you would like to make the milder version) into your slow cooker and set to "Low" for 8 1/2 hours. Add frozen shrimp and cook for 30 minutes, then add instant rice and allow to cook for another 15 minutes before serving. 

We love this dish in our house, because it's got the right amount of spice but packs great flavor, too! Feel free to double the recipe if you're up for storing some extra for lunches or future dinners - my husband doesn't usually like to eat leftovers, but he'll gobble this right up. 

Cheers!