Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
Cacciatore is a braised chicken dish that usually takes hours to create. In the city of New Orleans, the Italians created this recipe in order to speed up the process while retaining the great flavor. Additionally, the boneless thighs were further flavored with a link of hot Italian or Red Hot® brand sausage.

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (6-inch) link Red Hot® or other spicy sausage
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
½ cup flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced bell peppers
2 tbsps minced garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
3 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chopped sweet marjoram
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 tbsp chopped basil
1 tsp chopped oregano
½ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 pound cooked spaghetti

Method:
Arrange chicken thighs on a cutting board, remove excess fat and season lightly with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Cut 6-inch link of Red Hot sausage in half lengthwise then each half lengthwise again to create 4 (6-inch) long quarters. Cut each quarter in half crosswise. Place one sausage piece in center of each chicken thigh, fold chicken over and tie tightly with twine to create a sausage wrap chicken bundle. Dust outside of chicken lightly with flour. In a 1-gallon, heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, 3–5 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm. Into the hot oil, add onions, celery, bell peppers and minced garlic. Sauté 3–5 minutes then add mushrooms and cook additional 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend in tomatoes, wine, chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring mixture to a rolling boil then reduce to simmer. Cook 10–12 minutes then add marjoram, thyme, basil, oregano and green onions. Blend well into the tomatoes mixture and season lightly with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Place chicken thighs into sauce mixture, return to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. While chicken is simmering, cook spaghetti according to package directions. NOTE: For best results, boil spaghetti in chicken stock. Drain cooked pasta and place in center of a large platter. Top with stuffed chicken then cut off each twine using kitchen scissors. Cover pasta and chicken with a generous portion of sauce and sprinkle with parsley.