February is a big birthday month in my house. My son and my granddaughter share the same special day and, of course, we all get together to celebrate. I can’t believe I have a granddaughter who is almost out of her teens. Yikes, that practically makes me ancient, but still spry enough to whip up a big family dinner. My son always requests the same dessert: a strawberry whipped cream roll, but they left the choice of entree up to me. I’ve made this delicious version of chicken cacciatora for years so decided on this along with garlic bread, a big green salad and several desserts.
This is an excellent entree because you can make it ahead and it gets even better when made the day before. I assemble everything the evening before the party and pop it into the oven about an hour before we sit down to dinner.
Chicken Cacciatora
- 3 pounds chicken pieces, bone in and skin on
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes and juice
- 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade if you have it
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white wine or chicken stock
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Bone in chicken has so much more flavor than boneless, skinless pieces. Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces well on all sides. Remove chicken pieces from pot and add onion slices and mushrooms. Cook till tender but not brown. Combine all remaining ingredients. Add chicken pieces back to the pot and cover with the sauce mixture. Partially cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 50-60 minutes until chicken is very tender and the sauce is thick. I usually put the pot into the oven at 350 degrees because I’m always short of space on top of the stove. Either way is good.
Spoon some sauce onto the plate, add a serving of your favorite pasta and a piece or two of chicken and spoon a little more sauce over all. Be sure to serve a crusty bread with dinner so not even a drop of sauce goes to waste.
I had a crowd for dinner but was determined to get at least several photos before the chicken was gone so literally was snapping away as the plates were being taken to the table. This is the best I got, not great, but at least you get the idea.
I can’t believe you posted this! Last night, I was craving chicken cacciatora and was disappointed because I did’t have the fixin’s for it. Now it’s just after 8:00 in the morning, and I’m craving it all over again! Your’s looks WONDERFUL! Hope everyone had a great birthday! 🙂
Hi Cathy! Oh dear, I feel another Copy-Cat moment approaching.;)
That has to be one of the best looking versions of Chicken Cacciatora I’ve ever seen. You have my mouth watering.
Happy Birthday to your son and grand daughter ~ what a treat to have you cooking and baking for them. xo~m
Happy Birthday to everyone in your family this month.
This looks like quite a treat you served up with those beautiful mushroom slices!
I haven’t made chicken cacciatora in so long and I don’t know why! I love it. Thanks for the reminder – I’ve got your recipe on my short list!!
When do we get to see the dessert?
Beautiful cacciatora, Cathy. I also want you to know I like your new header!!
Cathy! I can’t believe you have grandchildren that will soon be out of their teens!
Feb is a double birthday month here too:)
Your chicken looks amazing.I love that our families have favorites.
My daughters ..still make one of the only dishes I learned from my mom..that they grew up on..for their families.
Memories:Food.. Scents..Music.. 3 things that evoke such strong memories!
That looks so good! I’m sure it was a hit at your dinner. Beautiful picture Too!
I’ve been away for over a week so I’ve missed a lot of posts but I’m happy I found this one 🙂 It looks delicious, Cathy.
This is a favorite — and yours looks really good.
Cathy…looks marvelous.
I also have a February baby…my first…
Happy Birthday to your babies!
The chicken looks wonderful…that is also a favorite here…I need to make it soon!
Happy birthday to your grandchildren. I am sure they are very happy to have a grandmother like you, especially who can cook a very special dinner for their special day. It seems like this classic Italian chicken, were perfect for such a happy family event. Down to earth, yet delicious.
Cheers,
Elra
Oh Cathy. I’ve been wanting to make chicken cacciatora for a long time now – thanks for a great recipe.
Cathy, your dish looks nothing short of wonderful!
Chicken Cacciatore is also a favorite dish here. Even my finicky boy loves it, and it’s easy to see why.
I LOVE this dish, it’s been way too long since I last made it. Your version looks delicious.
With a dish like this, the party was bound to be a success!
I love making this dish and yours is different. It looks so good! Hope you all had very happy birthdays one and all!
Your cacciatora looks excellent Cathy, I think it even tastes better the second day! Hope you had a fun time celebrating!
I used to make this but I haven’t in a really long time. Yours looks wonderful! Hope you’ve had a great celebration!
yum~ too bad i am already full after polishing off your s’mores!