Smoky Skillet Cacciatore

In general, I've shied away from cacciatore; it's time consuming and has so many ingredients.  But when I saw this in Everyday with Rachael Ray, it looked so good and not so time consuming at all.

This was totally delicious.  It was easy to make, and, how could you go wrong when you're cooking anything in bacon fat?

Smoky Skillet Cacciatore Source:  Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients

    2 pounds chicken thighs
    Salt and pepper
    2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO
    4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
    1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
    1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
    1 cubanelle pepper, halved, seeded and sliced
    1 small Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
    1/2 cup dry white wine or red wine
    1 fire-roasted crushed or stewed tomatoes (32 ounces)
    1/2 cup chicken stock
    Chopped parsley or celery tops, for garnish

Serves 4
Preparation

Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron or other heavy skillet, heat the  EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat until rippling. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the bacon to the skillet and cook until the fat renders, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Add the mushrooms to the skillet; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, cubanelle pepper, chili pepper and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then the wine. Stir in the tomatoes and stock.

Add the cooked chicken and bacon to the sauce and simmer to cook through, 5-6 minutes. Spoon from the pan onto plates, then top with the parsley (or celery tops).