Bertolli’s Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

According to Bertolli this Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore is an authentic Italian cuisine that is light, simple and flavorful. Made with a few of Bertolli’s ingredients: Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil and their new (not in Meijer 😡) Bertolli Rustic Cut Roasted Garlic Marinara with Hearty Vegetable Sauce. You can’t go wrong. Serves 4 Total Crockpot Time: 4 hours high or 8 hours low. 

Ingredients: 

6 - 8 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed 

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 large yellow onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic, sliced

1 24oz jar Bertolli Rustic Cut Garlic Mainard with Vegetable Sauce

1/2 each green and red bell peppers, sliced

8 oz sliced brown mushrooms 

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives 

2 tablespoons capers

4 springs fresh thyme 

1 bay leaf

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced 

16 oz spaghetti, cooked

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese 

Directions: 

Pat dry and season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet on medium/high heat add the olive oil and add the chicken skin side down. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and then set aside. 

In the same skillet add the onions, cook 5-7 minutes until translucent then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Transfer to crockpot.

In the crockpot also add the following: sauce, peppers, mushrooms, olives, capers, thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine. Nestle chicken into mixture and top with lemon slices. Cover and cook high 4 hours or low 8 hours. Remove bay leaf. Serve on top of spaghetti with chicken and the sauce. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and shaved Parmesan cheese. 
 

Italian Spinach Parmesan Chicken or Is it Chicken Florentine?

It’s close, but I think it’s a bit more thick then the creamy Florentine also we are adding mushrooms. I’m going to make a Parmesan roux with some Italian seasoning and minced garlic. We are serving 4, so I need 4 chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Check the temperature prior to setting aside to insure the internal temperature reaches 165F. 

In the same skillet add a tablespoon of olive oil when heated add 8oz sliced brown mushrooms, sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Roux ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoon butter 

1 1/2 tablespoon flour 

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 

1 1/2 cups half & half

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

Roux directions:

In a large saucepan add in your butter when melted whisk in the flour. Once combined gradually add in the half & half whisking as you go to get rid of any lumps. Add in your Italian seasoning, garlic and cheese and whisk until cheese melts. If too thick add in extra half & half. 

Pour the roux over the mushrooms and add in the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts. Return the chicken to the pan and pour some of the mixture over the chicken cook until heated through.