Chicken Cacciatore - Crock Pot Version

           With the New Year underway, many of us are trying to eat healthier and to stay on a budget by preparing delicious food at home rather than eating out.  I have discovered a great way to learn new cooking techniques from great, master chefs so that you can kill two birds with one stone! Panna Cooking is a easy way to be schooled in cooing at home. I have posted about it a little bit before this, but I recently viewed one of the videos and tried out the recipe that goes with it. I can't believe how much information I gleaned from that video by  Chef Anita Lo! Her video (linked  here) for  Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore is so easy to follow and delicious!  Not all of the videos are availiable without subscribing. But, you are in luck because you can sign up for a  free trial to see how great Panna is for yourself! 
               Some of the famous chefs that I recognized from various cooking shows that you can actually get lessons from are:

• Jonathan Waxman
• Hugh Acheson
• Charles Phan
• Harold Dieterle (a Top Chef Winner)
• Rick Bayless
• Stephanie Izard
• And many, many more!

Now, back to the Chicken Cacciatore.  Anita Lo's recipe looks like it will feed 2-4 people, depending on portion size.  I was having people over for dinner, so we were going to feed around 7 of us on Saturday night, so I decided to adapt the recipe a little and make it crock pot friendly so everything could be cooking and ready while I cleaned the house!  But, I used so many of her tips and the results were amazing! 

      Click on the pictures in the gallery to see what I did differently, after you watch her video.

I learned from Anita to heat the pan on high for 1 min. before adding the oil. This will cause the molecules in the pan to expand, making your pan more non-stick. She used chicken breasts, but I used thighs, because that is what I had. Besides, that makes the portion size a little smaller.

Brown the chicken presentation side down first! I don't know if presentation side is so important in a crock pot dish, but the browning does add caramelization to the chicken and the pan for added flavor in the sauce.

Chef Lo used all fresh tomatoes in her sauce. I didn't have enough for the number of people I was serving so I used a couple of fresh tomatoes to add that fresh taste to 2 cans of petite diced tomatoes.

Before sauteing your onions and garlic, drain off the dark oil from browning the chicken and just use the caramelized bits. Add a little more oil and begin by sauteing the onions until they are soft. If you need to add more oil, Chef Lo said to add it at the side of the pan so it would heat up a bit before it hits the food. When the onions are about ready, add the garlic.

I don't cook with wine, so I used a tomato-chicken broth to deglaze the pan and to continue simmering the onions and garlic.

You add the tomatoes and seasoning and get this delicious, rich sauce. Taste it to make sure if you need salt or not.

In a greased crock pot, I layered the sauce and the chicken. sauce, then chicken, then sauce, etc.

When it is all finished, it is bubbly and flavorful.

        At this point, I removed the chicken to a dish and I put the sauce in a separate dish.  I also prepared some fettuccine noodles to serve it all over.  Then, I added a salad and some bread and we were set!  Here is my version of the recipe:

Chicken Cacciatore-Crock Pot Style

           I served it up and we all enjoyed the dish and I realized that I hadn't taken a picture of the finished plate!  But, I hope you can tell from all of the photos above that it was delicious.  I made plenty, so we had leftovers the next day.  It was so good.  

          I was so happy with my experience with this Panna recipe, I am definitely signing up for the free trial.  Then, I will see if I use it as much as I think I might to make it worth the $29.99 per year subscription fee.  But, right now you can give yourself a gift of 19.99 with additional gifts 50% off at $9.99!  So, this is the perfect time to sign up!  

Here are a few other recipes you can find to think about trying for those upcoming romantic Valentine's Day dinners:

• Grueyere Mac & Cheese
• Grilled Rib-eye Steak with bleu cheese dressing
• Lobster with Basil Lemon Butter
• Lemon Meringue Parfaits (I am definitely trying this one!)

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         And, just to let you know, keep on the look-out for some healthy menu choices coming from Lindsey!  She will be blogging on Thursdays, so you have time to shop and prepare her great menu choices for the weekend!