Chicken Cacciatore - Slow Cooked to Italian Perfection

Give chicken the ITALIAN TREATMENT with this fast and simple crock-pot recipe that includes tomatoes, garlic, green peppers, olives and garbanzo beans. The mouth-watering aroma and delicious flavors are sure to keep your family and friends at the dinner table. So, turn on your favorite 'Frankie' or 'Dino' CD's, toss together a fresh green salad, throw some garlic bread in the oven and enjoy this delicious meal over a glass of your favorite red wine!

• Ready In: 7 hrs 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  balsamic  salad dressing (bottled)
• 2  lbs chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup flour
•  kosher salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1  large yellow onion, diced
• 1  cup dry red wine
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste, plus more to thicken sauce
• 1  green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
• 8  ounces  fresh button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
• 1  teaspoon onion powder
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1  teaspoon dried parsley flakes (rub between fingers to waken flavor)
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano (rub between fingers to waken flavor)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried basil (rub between fingers to waken flavor)
•  red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  cup  large pitted black olives, washed and drained
• 1  cup garbanzo beans, washed and drained
• 2  tablespoons capers, drained
•  parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Pour dressing into a zip-lock plastic bag; add chicken pieces and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.
3. Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together; lightly dredge chicken in the seasoned flour.
4. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides and transfer to crock pot when done.
5. Sauté onion until translucent in the olive oil used to brown the chicken; add wine and 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste to deglaze the pan. Transfer to crock pot.
6. Stir together remaining 2 cans of tomato paste and all the ingredients EXCEPT for the bay leaf, olives, garbanzo beans, capers, and Parmesan cheese; spread over chicken in crock pot.
7. Lay bay leaf on top of chicken; cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours (HIGH: 3 to 4 hours).
8. During the last hour of cooking, add the olives, garbanzo beans and capers. If at this time the sauce appears too thin, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken slightly.
9. To serve, discard the bay leaf and arrange the chicken over your favorite hot pasta; ladle with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.