Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore - 5pp

This recipe was in our WW Weekly issue from our meeting this week.  It looked so great that I just had to make it - and I had everything on hand to do it, too!  Since Saturday is usually my day to do the "Big Cleaning and Laundry"...its nice to put the slow cooker to work so dinner is ready when I'm worn out.  It was really great - and very filling!  Somehow when I made this, there was 4 servings of 1 1/2 cups per person instead of the 1 cup the recipe stated - but we didn't mind.  I used canned mushroom stems and peices, drained...minced garlic from a jar...tomato paste from a tube, and substituted diced tomatoes with basil and oregano for the fire roasted crushed tomatoes because that was what I had on hand.  1/4 of this recipe (5pp) with 2 oz whole-wheat penne pasta (4pp) and a glass of the leftover red wine (4pp) - a total of 13 pp for one very filling dinner of pure comfort food!

This is a classic Italian stew.  Serve it plain or over whole-wheat penne (to add another WW's power food to the meal).  For a spicier flavor, add a pinch of crushed red pepper fakes at the start of cooking.  I did both the penne and the extra spice!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore  

1 lb skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup fresh, frozen or canned mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen sliced green peppers
1 cup fresh or frozen onions, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp canned tomato paste
14 1/2 oz can crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Place chicken in a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms, green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes and juice, wine, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper.
• Cover slow cooker; cook on high heat for 5 to 6 hours or on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Taste just before serving and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt if necessary. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Serves 4      PointsPlus 5