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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Juicy chicken, peppers, and onions in a tangy marinara sauce, cooked low and slow in the slow cooker. Serve with pasta for comfort food heaven.
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Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and diced
  • 1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil separated
  • 1 yellow bell pepper seeded + sliced into strips
  • 1 orange bell pepper seeded + sliced into strips
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 28 ounce jar pasta sauce – (use a good-quality sauce, as this will be the base for your cacciatore sauce.)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 pound pasta cooked according to package directions
  • optional: freshly-chopped parsley + parmesan cheese for serving

Method
 

  1. Toss the chicken pieces with the italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, + red pepper. set aside while you prep/chop the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Note: you can certainly skip the next step of searing the chicken + partially cooking the vegetables, to save time. it *will* add lots of additional flavor to the dish, so if you have the extra time, it’s worth it!
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. add the seasoned chicken, + cook until chicken has seared slightly on all sides. transfer chicken to the slow-cooker.
  4. In the same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. add the peppers, onion, + garlic to the pan + cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly. transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker.
  5. Add the pasta sauce + bay leaf to the slow-cooker. (note: if you skipped the previous step of pre-searing/cooking the chicken + veggies, add the chicken, onions, peppers, garlic to the slow-cooker at this point, too) stir everything to combine.
  6. Cover, + cook on low for 4-5 hours, until chicken is fall-apart tender.
  7. When ready to serve, toss the prepared pasta with a bit of the cacciatore sauce first, then top with the chicken, peppers + onion mixture. top with freshly-chopped parsley + parmesan cheese, if desired.