EASY ONE PAN CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Chicken|Ciao Bella|Gluten-free|Italian

Ingredients

6 large chicken thighs (or combination of your favorite cuts), bone in and skin on (about 3.5-4 pounds)

3 teaspoons salt, divided

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, cut into ½” strips or wedges

4 medium-large bell peppers, cut into ½” strips (I like to use a combo of green, red, and yellow)

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

6 garlic cloves, rough chopped

1 cup dry white wine

4 cups your favorite spaghetti sauce (used my homemade Roasted Garden Tomato Sauce(opens in new tab))

Fresh parsley or basil leaves, chopped

Parmesan for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the chicken thighs of any excess fat. Season them liberally on both sides with 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt, 1 ½ teaspoons of the black pepper, and all of the Italian seasoning.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron or oven-proof skillet. When the oil is hot, place chicken thighs in, skin-side down. Sear until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from pan and set aside. The chicken will not be cooked through.

Add the onions and peppers to the pan drippings and cook until they start to get soft and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cover the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the peppers are very soft.

Season with one more teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Add the wine and deglaze, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the spaghetti sauce to the pan and bring to a low boil. If the sauce is very thick, add ½ – ¾ cup of water.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce, skin side up, leaving most of the crispy skin exposed. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the juices in the thighs run clean and the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil.

I served mine over buttered egg noodles, but also delicious served over spaghetti or rice with parmesan cheese on the side.