Dinner this week has been through bursts of cook-a-fab-new-recipe to whatever's-in-the-freezer. I managed to pick up a bit of a bug in Melbourne and have either felt like I couldn't be bothered lifting myself off the couch or like I really wanted to cook something super healthy and yummy to make myself feel better.
Tuesday night was a freezer night. I always like to have my freezer stocked with easy and quick dinners for lazy or sick nights. The slow cooker is definitely my friend when it comes to freezer stocking. There are always a few extra serves to cryovac and stash away.
I was very happy to find a pouch of chicken cacciatore sauce in there that I made last week.
I have to admit, when I saw how few ingredients there were in this recipe, that I found on Skinny Taste, I doubted it would be too tasty. I was already thinking of other things to add to it to boost the flavour but I was pleasantly surprised and all I had to add was a little bit of tomato paste.
It's a nice and light pasta sauce that won't leave you feeling stuffed. Plus, it freezes well (just the sauce) for dinner in a hurry. The best part - it's a throw-it-all-in-the-slow-cooker-and-walk-away meal.
You can see why I had my doubts can't you? Somehow this combination works together to create something really tasty.
Ok I wasn't telling the whole truth. You will need to season the chicken breasts before you put them in the slow cooker but then just throw everything in, give it a quick stir to distribute it all around then it's on with the lid and leave it to cook on low for eight hours (or high for 4 if you're in a hurry).
When the eight hours are up, use two forks to shred the chicken up. I didn't even bother taking it out of the slow cooker to shred. Then turn the heat up to high and let it simmer without the lid for another hour for the sauce to thicken.
My only mistake with this was trying to be super healthy and have it with wholemeal pasta. Me no likey. Some might disagree but I think wholemeal pasta tastes a lot like cardboard. It was much better over nice white pasta.
Serve it up with a little sprinkling of grated parmesan for a delicious, light dinner. Enjoy!
What about you? What do you always have in your freezer?
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large skinless chicken breasts
- 2 x 400g can diced tomato
- 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 red capsicum cut into strips
- 1 green capsicum cut into strips
- 1 small brown onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper and pop them the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, capsicum, oregano and pay leaf then stir it all together a little.
- Put the lid on top and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).
- Take the lid off and use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Stir it all together and turn the heat to high and let the sauce thicken, without the lid, for one hour.
- Serve over pasta.
Notes
The calories are for the sauce on its own. Add the pasta to your calorie count.
Corrie says
Gotta love a slow cooker! Gone are the days when we all had an 'arger' stove or wood fed stove so we could heat the house and heat the water and simmer soups and stews all day. My mum had one and I miss that style of cooking.
Claire says
It would have been lovely to heat the house as you cooked.
Maureen says
I don't like wholemeal pasta either but this chicken does look fantastic sitting on top of it.
I use my vacuum sealer machine all the time. I had one a million years ago in the states with a wide mouth jar lid attachment so I brought the attachment with me. I bought one called Reber and finagled the attachment tube on there, allowing me to vacuum seal all sorts of dry ingredients. What I don't do is cryovac food for the freezer very often. I am a fail at freezer because I always want to make something new.
Claire says
I love my cryovacer! You're too good. I have to have a few meals in the freezer for lazy nights. It's good for things like rice and mashed potato as well so you've always got a two minute side on hand!
Hotly Spiced says
I love this dish and it's so right for the current climate. I might make this tonight. I'm not a fan of wholemeal pasta either but I do like spelt pasta. It's meant to be better for you than whole wheat pasta but it tastes better than wholemeal xx
Claire says
I'll have to try it Charlie because I'm not going for wholemeal again!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
I hope you're feeling better soon Claire!! Good to hear that you had something to save the day! :)
Claire says
Thanks Lorraine. It didn't hit me too bad thank goodness.
The Café Sucré Farine says
Yummy Claire and so healthy too. Your photo looks like it should be on he cover of a magazine!
Claire says
Again Chris... you're too kind!