Lazy Chicken Cacciatore

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

Super easy chicken cacciatore recipe

This chicken cacciatore recipe is so easy it practically makes itself

I’m not sure if lazy is the right term but I like to cut corners when I cook. My mom used to make the most amazing meals for us every night when I was growing up.

Delicious, yes. Speedy, no. I like to take her tried-and-true favourites and make them lightning-fast.

The last time I made chicken cacciatore I decided to try taking it one step further and just add the uncooked rice to the roasting pan. To my delight, it turned out perfectly and the rice was infused with an intense deliciousness.

There is nothing better than assembling a yummy, cost-effective meal in a snap, putting it in the oven and not giving it another thought until it’s ready – and then only having one pan to clean when everything is said and done. Brilliant!

If you’re feeling ambitious, serve with a green salad, sautéed broccoli or zucchini, steamed green beans, or whatever else you have kicking around. And, of course, I like to wash this dish down with a rich Cab Sauv or a crisp Sauv Blanc, depending on my mood and the temperature outside.

Speaking of which, I’ve been missing my roast chicken dinners since the weather’s been hot and I’ve been banned from turning on the oven, so I went out and bought a huge slow cooker. Now I can assemble everything the night before and pop it in the fridge, plug it in before I got to work in the morning, and have the lovely aroma of a beautiful meal meet me at the door when I arrive home. Awesome!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp dried chili flakes, to taste
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ cups brown rice
• 1 lrg onion, chopped
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 lrg can diced tomatoes
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place in the centre of a large roasting pan, rub with oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili flakes and half of oregano.
3. Remove outside layers of garlic and break bulb into 4 pieces, leaving last layer of skin on.
4. Add rice, onion and garlic evenly around chicken.
5. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over rice mixture. Stir well so that all of the rice is coated in sauce.
6. Roast, covered, for 90 minutes.

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Catherine Roscoe Barr, BSc Neuroscience, is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and fitness professional. Before settling on the west coast she lived in Sydney, Toronto, Oregon, Montana, and practically everywhere in Alberta. She can be found jogging with her adorable dog, dining with her fabulous husband or voraciously reading anywhere comfy.