Chicken Cacciatore

I've adapted my old Cacciatore recipe for use in the slow cooker.  I've used this recipe for so long I forget where I got the original from.  You can stretch this recipe with a side salad and extra rice or pasta and some bread.  Of course it tastes even better the second day after all the flavors have time to meld together. 


Ingredients
serves 4-6

~2lbs of chicken pieces (legs or thighs preferably bone in)
26oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce Plain
1 small can tomato paste (I like Contadina.  It is less acidic.)
medium onion
1 small carton sliced mushrooms (I prefer criminis but buttons are fine)
1 small bag peeled baby carrots
1 small bag frozen peas
1-2T good olive oil
1T oregano dried
1t basil dried
1t thyme dried
1t parsley dried
1 large bay leaf
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste)
salt & pepper

1. Pour olive oil in slow cooker and grease the inside of the pot with it.
2. Coarsely chop onion.  Not too fine or it will disappear into the sauce.  Put in bottom of pot.
3. Layer in the carrots and mushrooms.
4. Skin chicken if necessary and cut off any extra fat. Layer on top of vegetables.
5. In bowl, mix together the Hunts sauce, paste and all the herbs and spices including the garlic.  Fill the Hunts tin half way with water, swish around to get all the good stuff out, add to bowl and stir in.
6. Pour sauce over chicken.
7. Cook on high for 3-4 hours depending upon chicken chunk sizes.
8. Half hour before finishing add peas and stir in.  Cook on high for last half hour.
9. Remove bay leaf.
10. Remove bones if you are so inclined.  Not necessary if there isn't company though.
11. Serve with pasta or over brown rice.
12. Leftovers taste great and can be frozen.