There is just something about crisp Autumn nights and slow cooked meals that go hand in hand. I swear I think my appetite grows ten fold as soon as Autumn rolls around. Plus, I just love the way the entire house smells warm and inviting when a slow cooked meal is on the stove.
This Sunday was just perfect for a slow cooked meal. It rained all weekend on the East Coast and by Sunday morning we had all awoken to the first real chill of the season. I loved it! It’s what us Autumn lovers wait all year for…crisp, cool air, downed leaves, and good food. While I tinkered around in the kitchen, the sig other cursed his power drill to the deep, dark, bowels of hell. Ahhhhh, domestic bliss. The Bears (his team, not mine!) lost to the Browns and while he cursed the good lord, Kyle Orton, and that damn fumble, I prepared the best Italian Chicken in a Pot I’ve ever made. My mom used to make this all the time when my brother and I were kids. It’s probably one of my most favorite comfort foods of all time.
There really is no secret to this one and the best part of this recipe is that every thing I used in the recipe I already had on hand. I didn’t have to make a trip to the grocery store – and on a rainy Sunday…all the better! You can pretty much throw anything you have on hand into this pot – no special veggies, no particular chicken parts…if you have drumsticks on hand by all means use the drumsticks. Same holds true for whole fryer, breasts or thighs – it doesn’t matter. The beauty of this recipe is that you can add as much or as little depending on what you have in the house!
Italian Chicken in a Pot
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
*Olive oil
*Chicken
*White wine
*Small can chicken stock
*Salt (to taste)
*Chopped parsley
*Garlic
*Chopped onion
*Potatoes
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot.
2. Sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. Add salted chicken when onions become tender. Cook until somewhat golden brown.
3. Add a can of chicken stock and a cup or so of white wine.
4. Add parsley – as much or as little as you like.
5. Cover and let cook over low heat until chicken is just about tender.
6. Add chunks of potatoes. Cook with chicken until both are tender to touch of fork.
This is probably one of the easiest meals I’ve ever made. I always make extra because the leftovers the next night taste even better! If you feel like being a little self-indulgent a glass of white wine goes great with this meal. Or, if it’s Football Sunday, beer works too. ;)
Enjoy!
Ellie
