Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

This Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore combines tender chicken thighs, smoky bacon, mushrooms, sweet peppers, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, capers, and herbs in a rich, restaurant-inspired Italian sauce. With just a little stovetop prep to build incredible flavor, the slow cooker does the rest, creating a comforting family dinner that's perfect served over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, (sliced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, (sliced)
• 8 garlic cloves, (rough chopped)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 large red onion, (thinly sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper, (thinly sliced)
• 1 orange bell pepper, (thinly sliced)
• 8 ounces jarred roasted red peppers (drained and roughly chopped(about 1 heaping cup))
• 3/4 cup crushed or diced canned tomatoes (about half a 14-ounce can)
• 1/4 cup capers, (drained )
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• salt + black pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup tap water
• basil, (julienned)
• parmesan

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Cook the chopped bacon (1/2 pound) in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. After most of the grease is absorbed from the cooked bacon, add to the slow cooker.
2. 2Cook the mushrooms (1 pound) over medium-high heat in the bacon drippings, stirring occasionally, until they're tender and have released most of their liquid, and are beginning to brown.
3. 3Add the garlic (8), tomato paste (1 tablespoon), and wine (1/4 cup) to the mushrooms and continue to cook until the liquid begins to boil. Stir the mixture, being sure to scrap up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Pour into the slow cooker.
4. 4Add the onion (1/2 large), bell pepper (1 red + 1 orange), roasted peppers (8 ounces), canned tomatoes (3/4 cup), capers (1/4 cup), vinegar (2 tablespoons), oregano (1 teaspoon), Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon), red-pepper flakes (1 teaspoon) and garlic powder (1 teaspoon) to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
5. 5Add the chicken (2 -2 1/2 pounds), season with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine. Cook on low until the chicken is very tender and the flavors are blended about 4 hours. (At this point, the dish holds well in the warm setting for several hours.)
6. 6Cook on low, about 4 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and the flavors are blended.
7. 7--- Make Slurry: ---
8. 8In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch (3 tablespoons) with the water (1/2 cup) until smooth. Pour into slow cooker. Turn up the heat to high, cover, and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened,
9. 9Stir in the parsley (1/3 cup) and let it warm through. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve overcooked pasta, in hoagie rolls, or overcooked rice. Top with basil and Parmesan.