Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken, red peppers and mushrooms simmer in tomato sauce for a great tasting, simple, weeknight meal your whole family will enjoy. My mother made this often when I was a child and I have always loved this recipe. I modified Mom's recipe to make it Weight Watcher friendly by removing the chicken skin, fat and using less oil. Top this with some good grated like Pecorino Romano.



Chicken Cacciatore
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 thigh, 3/4 cup sauce, 1 cup pasta • Old Points: 6 • Points+: 8
Calories: 326.4 • Fat: 3.8 g • Protein: 20.6 g • Carb: 56.0 g • Fiber: 9.1 g  

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken thighs, skin and fat removed
• olive oil spray
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fat free chicken broth, more if needed
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups cooked (12 oz uncooked) high fiber or whole wheat pasta 

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the pan over a medium-high flame and spray with cooking oil. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add the peppers, onion and garlic to the pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, broth, and oregano.

Cover the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the chopped basil 5 minutes before sauce is done. Serve over whole wheat or high fiber pasta like Ronzoni Smart Taste.