Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta Cakes

#entertainingwithbeth #slowcookerrecipe #chickenrecipe
This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore is a fantastic main course idea for stress-free entertaining!

You can prep everything ahead of time and all you have to do is serve it! It pairs beautifully with my easy polenta cakes, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary. Or you could also serve it over pasta too.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lbs of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
30 ounces of canned diced tomatoes
¼ cup white wine (a dry wine like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)
3 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup yellow onions, sliced into half moons
1 cup red bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
1 cup green bell peppers, sliced into thin stripes
½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
FOR POLENTA CAKES
1 roll of cooked, packaged polenta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 Tbsp, fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot place the chicken in the pan and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.

In the slow cooker add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, seasonings, and garlic. Whisk to combine.

Add the chicken, and submerge it in the sauce.
Then add the onions and peppers. Stir to combine, mixing the chicken, sauce, and vegetables together.

Place the lid on top of the slow cooker, and heat on high for 5 hours or on low 6-8 hours.
Once the cooking is done, add the olives, and stir to combine.

Then mix the cornstarch and water together to combine, and pour the mixture into the slow cooker mixture, whisking to thicken.

Add the butter and whisk to combine. Set the slow cooker on low or warm.
For the polenta, remove the roll from its packaging. And pat dry.

Then slice the roll into ¾" slices. You should get about 8-9 slices. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high. Add the polenta cakes. Cook for a few minutes, covered, until polenta is warmed through and the bottom turns a darker shade of yellow. And then flip.

Cook on the other side for a few minutes until warmed through.

Then transfer the polenta cakes to a serving bowl. Add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. And grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped rosemary.

To serve add 2 polenta cakes to a shallow bowl, and 1-2 ladlefuls of the chicken cacciatore. Garnish chicken with freshly chopped parsley.

NOTES:
You can sear the polenta cakes ahead of time. Then cover and refrigerate. Then reheat in the microwave, and then top with the cheese and rosemary.



ABOUT THIS CHANNEL

[ellaaltman]

The polenta cakes - truly mouth watering. Another amazing meal idea from Beth, along with the tips to elevate it to another level. Thank you Beth!

[berlinbeachkat]

I will definitely try this in as a slow cooker dish. Thank you for providing a printable version of the recipe. I really appreciate this. Makes getting the shopping list together so much easier!

[SavoryExperimentsCooking]

I love the idea of serving this with polenta cakes -- thanks for sharing!

[AndreaGracie]

Elegant busy weeknight meal. I’ll be trying this very soon!

[marciavaldez]

Yum, and ao much easier than making it on the stove top. Welcome home, and thank you for sharing your great videos while you were in Paris.

[rubycrosby]

Wow!!! Looks delicious love the rosemary on the polenta!!! Your plates are fab🥰

[alexandracruz]

Thank you. I just like your
Recepies & all your tips !!❤

[ramikhirfan]

Looked yummy, might try it with brown rice and some sprinkling of graded parmesion cheese . Thank you, Beth. 🎉

[desireeveltsema]

Hi Beth, this looks delicious! And so beautiful presented too!
About the garlic, I never peel mine when using a garlic press, I simply put the clove with the skin still on in my press and once pressed I just remove the skin out of it, using the point of a knife, this also removes the little bits that otherwise would stay behind. You should really give it a try, it’s so handy!

[sujonso]

Thanks Beth, I've always wanted to try Cacciatore but have a mushroom allergy. I am looking forward to making this soon.

[alee]

It looks so delicious. Will definitely try. Thank you!

[sandyfeet]

WOW!! Another GREAT recipe..and EASY PEASY as well, and going to make stove top since I do not have a slow cooker. I never wanted a slow cooker due to all of the other gadgets on my counter space. Thank you Beth for another FABULOUS recipe.

[SNW]

Looks so good and easy. I'll have to try this. I love mushrooms too, and the last time I did a slow cooker lamb stew I added the mushrooms in the last hour of cooking and the texture and flavor was much better than adding at the beginning. I might try that with this dish too.

[elizabethmonteiro]

Ouuuu! Looks delish! Will definitely try! Thanks Beth!
Oh by the way, loved all your videos of your family vacation in France & Italy. Cheers from CT🎉

[doodahgurlie]

I have made Chicken Marengo which is similar to chicken cacciatore, I think, and it's delish! I've also made chicken cacciatore as well, but the chicken marengo was better to me. I love mushrooms, so I saute them in butter before adding them in.

[marymarks]

I gotta have the mushrooms. Add them at the end but saute them.

[kiriesamuels]

Hi Beth. I am trying this recipe this week. It looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing!
Q: When are you coming out with your first cookbook? I would literaly get rid of the bulk of my cookbook collection if you came out with one of your own.

[Lucinda_Jackson]

Oh, yummy! I have a similar recipe for slow cooker chicken cacciatore, but I know that yours will be decidedly superior and have more balanced flavors! I've fiddled with my recipe over time and it's closer to yours, but I can see that the differences will definitely improve it! ❤

I love mushrooms, but like you, I'm not a fan of raw mushrooms cooked in a slow cooker. It takes something wonderful and transforms it into something unpleasant! 😂 I trim and halve or quarter cremini mushrooms (button mushrooms work fine) and sauté with a bit of salt in a little butter until softened and slightly coloring with much of the moisture released, but still holding shape and structure. Then I just add them in at the same time as the olives, about an hour before it's done. No sliminess but a mellow cooked texture and flavor. Works for me - gotta have my mushrooms! 😂

I have a bunch of thighs in my freezer right now and everything else to make this, so it's on the menu! I love slow cooker meals like this one that don't TASTE like slow cooker meals. Ease and flavor is an unbeatable combination!

Have a wonderful week, Beth!

[liviu]

Yeah ill try it for Christmas, looks like a very christmasy dish. Actually....im going to do my polenta manually, because where i live, i cannot find it in stores ready-made (it'd be nice! 😆).

[WryMeee]

I’m adding this to my meal pan for this week! Question: Can any extra polenta be frozen? How about the rest of a roll that isn’t used? There are only two of us and I do make creamy polenta but would like to try these polenta cakes for a change. Thanks! I enjoy your videos, they give me inspiration when I have the cooking “blahs”.