As I have posted another chicken cacciatore this recipe is made in the slow cooker and differs from the other one. Check both of them out– this one was a bit labor intensive but in the slow cooker by noon and cooked perfectly on low for 4 hours. It contains bacon and I wouldn’t omit it, you can substitute pancetta if you prefer and I would buy it in the container already chopped to make life easier. The bacon added that layer of flavor it really needed. The mushrooms, bacon and wine add a most perfect layer of flavor . I served over wide egg noodles but polenta would also be a wonderful option or just a hunk of crusty bread to soak up all the delicious juices. I made this on Sunday night and it was perfection on a plate. This recipe will be in rotation this winter as it is a most perfect recipe for the winter.

Big recommendation for this recipe which I got from The NY Times Slow Cooker Recipes. I did make a few changes to the original recipe but you may want to check out the original.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. bacon , preferably thick cut sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup dry red wine — I had a Malbec on hand so it was perfect

1 large yellow onion -thinly sliced

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

8 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, drained, app. 1 heaping cup

1 can crushed or diced canned tomatoes, 14 oz. can — I used crushed

2 Tablespoons drained capers

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 -2 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

Kosher Salt and Coarse Black Pepper

*Grated Parmesan for serving

Directions:

Fry the bacon in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered, app. 8 minutes

Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon and place in the slow cooker which I sprayed first with cooking spray. Add the mushrooms to the fat in the skillet and let them cook down over medium-high heat, stirring only a few times until mushrooms shrink down and releasing their liquid and starting to turn lightly brown, about 8-10 more minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Pour in the red wine and let it come to a bubble, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Scrape the mixture after 10 minutes into the slow cooker.

Add the sliced onion, bell pepper, roasted peppers, can of tomatoes, capers, vinegar, oregano, red-pepper flakes and garlic powder to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Add the chicken, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous amount of black pepper– probably at least 1/4 teaspoon and maybe a touch more and stir to combine all ingredients and flavors.

Cook on low until the chicken is very tender and the flavors are blended, about 4 1/2 hours. And then you can leave slow cooker on warm for several hours.

I broke up chicken with a wooden spoon into larger chunks at the end. Taste for salt and pepper — I didn’t add any salt or pepper because it tasted perfect.

Serve over pasta or polenta or rice or alone with bread. However you’d like to serve it.

I topped with grated parmesan at the table.

This is so my kind of meal once the weather starts to turn a little colder. It’s made with a store bought rotisserie chicken and this chicken chili is all made in one pot on the stove-top. It’s filling and the different peppers add a wonderful mix of flavors to the chili. You’ll need a large dutch oven sort of pot for this and you’ll have some left overs for sure depending on how many people you’re cooking for.

I crumbled some tortilla chips on top of my chili and added a dollop of sour cream which added to the flavor. Cheese is also a wonderful topping here.

Of course if you hate cilantro you can eliminate it and be careful cutting the peppers, the seeds and ribs in the pepper hold all the heat. It’s your call how spicy you’d like it. I like spicy but don’t really use the seeds and I keep it mild and more family-friendly because you never really know how spicy it can get adding the seeds and ribs. I also use rubber or latex gloves while cutting and be careful not to touch your eyes till you’ve completely washed your hands. If I want heat I can add a shot of Chohula to my own.

This chili does thicken considerably as it sits. If you make it ahead of time, you may want to add broth or water depending on how thick you like it.

Leftovers are great and this chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat and you may want to add some broth or water to it as well.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 15 oz. cans white beans (cannellini)–drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and minced

2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Kosher Salt to taste

1 Rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded

3/4 cup frozen corn

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime

*1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro –we like it a lot but not everyone does I know so just omit it

Optional Toppings:

Sour Cream

Crushed Tortilla Chips

Shredded Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese

Lime Wedges

Directions:

Get all ingredients chopped and ready to cook.

In a food processor , blend 1/2 of the beans (1 can) with 1 cup of the chicken broth and set aside with the remaining drained beans

Add the olive oil to a large pot or Dutch Oven and heat it over medium high heat. Add the onions, jalapeño pepper and poblano peppers and cook, stirring frequently until soft about 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, then add the cumin, coriander and ancho chili powder and continue to cook, stirring frequently for another few minutes. Add the Chicken Broth, pureed beans and app. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Stir in the shredded chicken, reserved whole can of beans, corn and lime juice; bring back to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt . Stir in the chopped cilantro. It will be somewhat soupy still and that’s OK. The longer it sits the thicker it will get. I let it cook for probably an hour or so and If it’s too thick you can add a little water. It’s really a chili so I like it thick but it’s totally up to you how you like it.

One of my most favorite go -to meals is my Greek Chicken- Sheetpan style with Potatoes and Lemons but the trick to that recipe is marinating at least 6-8 hours and it needs some planning which is just fine if I make the plan. Yesterday I decided to make this while I was in the supermarket and came home – no marinating and voila — not exactly the same but satisfied the craving for those flavors and didn’t have too marinate.

Easy peasy ingredients and you can adjust the seasonings to your own liking. Again , I prefer thighs to breasts but if you insist just watch your cooking time as the breasts tend to dry out. And this is skin-on bone in thighs.

The potatoes crisped up beautifully and if you’d like you can have some tzatziki sauce on the side for them. I used small Yukon Gold potatoes leaving the skin on– the skin is paper thin and eliminates the need for peeling.

This was just delicious — serve alongside a green salad or any veggie you’d like and you’ll have a most perfect meal.

Ingredients:

For Chicken:

1 package of chicken thighs, skin on bone in — app. 2 lbs

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper and a drizzle of EVOO ( extra virgin olive oil) — for chicken

For Potatoes:

1 1/2 -2 lbs. potatoes I used Yukon Gold small potatoes, wash and cut into 1″ pieces

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 lemons– I used 2 small lemons for marinade and I sliced 1 for sheet pan

2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. heaping dijon mustard

1/4 cup EVOO ( extra virgin olive oil)

*pinch of crushed red pepper — totally optional but we like the kick

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Dry off chicken thighs and drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, set aside

In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, garlic, water, dijon mustard, and EVOO , Mix well

Pour potatoes onto a well sprayed ( cooking spray like Pam) sheet pan. Arrange lemon between the potatoes, place chicken thighs on sheet pan — I like to make sure that the chicken is directly on the sheet pan

Bake at 400 degrees for an hour and check on it. I baked for about 1 hour and 15 minutes for perfect crispy skin and perfectly crispy potatoes

Now go and Enjoy this delicious meal!

j

Very delicious weeknight meal for the family or for just you! It’s easy and all in one pan with Brussels and red onions. Easy to put together, just try and marinate chicken for how ever long you can — at least 30 minutes and up to 48 hours in the fridge. The marination process is key — I did it for about 6 hours in fridge and removed from fridge to bring to room temperature before cooking.

I don’t recommend using chicken breasts in this recipe as they tend to dry out. So use chicken thighs to get juicy and delicious tasting chicken.

Enjoy this meal bursting with flavor!

You’ll need a rimmed sheet pan, a large glass bowl, a small bowl, and I recommend using a kitchen thermometer which if you don’t have one you should own for cooking chicken.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of chicken thighs ( about 6 ) bone in , skin on

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( divided)

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning ( available dry in most supermarkets)

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

app. 1/2 ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh Lemon Juice

1 heaping Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1 heaping Tbsp. stone ground Mustard

app. 10 oz. Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half if very large cut in 1/4s and if very small leave whole

1 Red Onion cut into 8 wedges

6 cloves garlic minced

Directions:

To marinate the chicken, pat dry the chicken and put in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice , dijon mustard, stone ground mustard. I whisk it all together and pour over the chicken in bowl and with clean hands squish around the chicken and cover and place in the fridge. Take out of fridge and bring to room temperature before putting into the oven (probably a 1/2 hour)

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees

I spray baking sheet with cooking spray first, then place trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts on the sheet pan. I then put 6 garlic cloves in mini processor and add 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil to processor and when this is done pour over the Brussels and coat well and sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp. kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper to them.

Place marinated chicken thighs skin side up on the sheet pan moving Brussels and onions around so the chicken touches the sheet . (see photo)

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes then crisp the skin up and brown it under the broiler. I did it for about 4 minutes till I obtained a nice crispy skin. Check chicken temperature before serving but it should be 165 and perfect!

Served over rice and it was delicious.

The chicken may be the main here but gotta say it’s all about this spectacular lemon rice. Rice, chicken, spinach ( and yes Joel didn’t even detect here and ate it up) I went a little lighter on the spinach for fear of spoiling it for him but go with full 2 cups of spinach if you’re family loves it. I chopped it up so it was hard to really see that it even was spinach but you can just chop it up roughly. This would be delicious served with a Greek Salad and the one I would go with is my Maroulosalata salad. Perfect!! and very delicious and I marinaded chicken from about 10 till 5 but if you can do overnight even better and if you can’t do at least an hour. One pan means less clean up which is also an extra added bonus. Enjoy this wonderful meal.

i*should serve 4-6 but for 6 I would add 2 more thighs

*for the chicken marinade

6 chicken thighs ( I only used 4 for the 2 of us) I go to butcher when I can so thighs are meatier if they’re very small make 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients:

For Chicken and Rice

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed and roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice ( I love Carolina brand)

3 cups chicken stock/broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

*crumbled feta for end if you’d like or some lemon slices or lemon zest and a little squirt of fresh lemon juice at the end — all of this is optional and up to you. I used crumbled feta at the end ( not too much just a sprinkle) and I used a little fresh lemon juice — you can also add chopped parsley and some lemon slices for a lovely presentation

Place Chicken in a large bowl or in a large resealable plastic bag ( I used plastic bag method)

Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken ( pat chicken dry first) and toss chicken to coat well. Seal bag or cover bowl and marinate chicken in the fridge for at least an hour and up to 1 day ahead (obvi the longer the better)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees , remove chicken from fridge while preheating the oven.

In a large ovenproof pot ( I used my Le Creuset dutch oven) or large skillet that is oven proof heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is very hot without burning please add chicken thighs skin side down (and reserve the leftover marinade in bowl or bag — you will be adding the liquid to the skillet later) Brown chicken about 5 minutes each side — you’ll be cooking more later this is just to get them golden and crispy. Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate.

Add the onions and garlic to skillet and stir cooking for a few minutes or until the onions are very soft and translucent. Adjust the heat a little if needed– don’t burn the onions.

Add the chopped spinach, oregano, salt, pepper, and reserved marinade to the pot. Cook stirring for another minute or so until spinach is wilted

Add the rice to the skillet, and stir well to coat the rice with the pan juices

Pour the chicken stock into the pot and stir well, bring to a simmer or low boil

Arrange chicken thighs on top of the rice, the cover the pot ( if no cover use aluminum foil)and place pot in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid or foil covering, return the skillet to the oven, and bake until chicken and rice is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Feel free to broil for the last couple of minutes if you’re feeling like chicken isn’t crispy enough

Remove from the oven and let chicken and rice rest for 5-10 minutes. Fluff rice so that the spinach and onions that may have settled get evenly distributed. Sprinkle with feta now or extra lemon juice or parsley and lemon slices then serve straight from the pan or dish out onto plates.

Enjoy! this one is a winner

Chicken Scarpariello could easily be one of my most favorite dishes to order in an Italian Restaurant. The translation is Shoemaker’s chicken and it is a classic Italian-American dish of chicken, sausage, onions and peppers . The flavors are layered and spicy and sweet and this recipe often has potatoes in it but this time I left them out and we didn’t miss them. I made this for 2 people so used only 1 lb. of chicken. Recipe is for 2 – 3 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken , you can use whatever pieces you like but if you’re using breasts have them cut in 1/2. I also made whole recipe in my Le Creuset Stockpot because I cut recipe for just the two of us. If you make whole recipe you’ll want to transfer to a large roasting pan before putting in the oven. I didn’t because I only used 3 pieces of chicken and 2 sausage links so I kept it all in the Le Creuset dutch oven .

Enjoy this hearty recipe and if I were making potatoes I might just roast some on the side and add in when I serve. Potatoes are totally optional.

Serve with some good bread to soak up this delicious sauce.

This would be a delicious Holiday Meal.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in , skin-on Chicken I used thighs only this time,, use what you like but keep breasts small and cut in 1/2 and this recipe can be easily cut in 1/2

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ( or coarse black pepper)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( if you’re cooking up chicken and oil disappears add a little at a time)

4 links Italian Sausage — you can use 1/2 mild and 1/2 spicy whatever you’d like

2 large Bell Peppers and if you’re making for more people and transferring to large roasting pan you can use 3 Bell peppers — seeded and cut into thin strips

1 large sweet onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic — probably 2 small cloves

4-8 hot vinegar cherry peppers or pepperoncini, left whole If you don’t like hot you can substitute with sweet cherry peppers in vinegar or peppadew peppers in vinegar( I know Trader Joes has these) Use what you like and what you can find.

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. season chicken pieces with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven style pot or use a large pot/pan for sautéing . In batches, ( don’t over crowd pot) brown the chicken , skin side down to start, you’ll probably want to sauté for at least 5 minutes or more per side and using tongs check for skin color to be golden brown, this may take longer or shorter and be careful not to burn the oil. I used a medium flame but if it starts to burn lower immediately . Remove the chicken to a plate when finished. Add the sausage to same pot and sauté until brown, about 3 -4 minutes per side. ( they will not be cooked through at this point– just browned. Remove with tongs , cut into 1″ slices and set aside along with chicken.

Now into the same pot sauté the bell peppers, onion and garlic until soft and beginning to brown , probably another 5 minutes or so. I sprinkled a little salt and pepper here while it was sautéing

Return the sausage to pot, add the cherry peppers or pepperoncini, chicken broth , wine, vinegar, oregano . Gently mix together, then transfer everything in the pot ( all liquid as well) to a large roasting pan. ( I always spray first for easy clean-up and easy removal of cooked food) use an olive oil spray if you have it and spray lightly) Nestle the chicken in the vegetables (skin side up) with sausage and roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced slightly, probably 30 minutes . If you are halving this recipe for 2 people you can put Le Creuset in the oven which is what I did but for larger amounts use roasting pan.

I served on plate and spooned a little of the sauce on top of chicken and vegetables.

Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

You can test done-ness of chicken with a meat thermometer.

*I prefer using dark meat here but that’s totally up to you