Chicken Cacciatore Inspired Pasta

What day is it? Did I brush my teeth this morning? How is it only 1:30pm? What am I making for dinner?

I may not know the answer to all of these questions, but I typically know the answer to the last one. Dinner can be a challenging thing for some of us, even on the most normal, uneventful days. Right now, it can feel even more daunting since we can’t just run out to the store or head to a restaurant.

So let’s talk crushed tomatoes. This is something I always have in my pantry and I usually grab several 28oz cans each time I’m at the store and have for years. We use them for everything from bolognese to chili to homemade tomato soup. Lately, I’ve also used them for a chicken cacciatore inspired pasta, shredded beef for tacos, and homemade pizza sauce.

This Chicken Cacciatore Inspired Pasta is my current favorite comfort food and I’ve made it twice in the last week. No apologies. It feels like a big hug and we all could use that right now. Since I can’t hug you in person right now, please accept this recipe as a way for me to bring a hug to your family through your kitchen.

Also, if you’re looking for ways to help those who need a boost right now, I wrote this post about how to send a little self-care to the people working hardest for us right now.

Looking for more easy dinner ideas? I’ve got you covered!

Struggling to put down your phone right now? These screen time rules for adults might help!

Chicken Cacciatore Inspired Pasta

Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 large bell pepper, any color, diced small

• 1/2 onion, whatever you have, diced small (onion powder works too)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (garlic powder also works here)

• 1/3 cup wine, white & red both work (broth or water if you’re in a pinch)

• 28oz can crushed tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons sugar (optional but really brings it to the next level, comfort food-wise)

• 1 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken (*see below for notes on using raw chicken)

• salt & black pepper to taste

• 1lb angel hair pasta

• shredded mozzarella cheese

• red pepper flakes

1. Begin by setting a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the olive oil, then add the pepper and onion. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to burn it!

3. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until wine reduces slightly.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cooked chicken and simmer 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Cook the angel hair pasta in a large pot of boiling water- salt your water well! It should taste like the sea.

6. When you are ready to eat, serve the sauce over the noodles and top with shredded cheese and red pepper flakes.

*Instant Pot Directions for Raw Chicken: Use the sauté setting and follow steps 1-4 without adding the chicken just yet. Sprinkle two chicken breasts (boneless and skinless) with salt and nestle them into the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to “manual” and press the “poultry” button. When done, release the steam carefully, then remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return to the sauce, season as needed, and serve as directed above!

Instant Pot Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I think I’ve settled into a bit of a routine around grocery shopping. For someone who prefers to wander through the grocery store looking for food that looks freshest and sparks inspiration, this has been a long road. Before we had kids, our food budget was more fluid and our shopping list (if you can even call it that) was always flexible. Now, with 7 and 4 year olds running the roost, I have to be more intentional. So, we’ve been using the same list of ingredients in different ways. The kids both love bell peppers, 3 out of 4 of us eat ground beef, and we all love tacos. So consider these Southwest Stuffed Peppers a creative alternative for taco night!

It isn’t always easy to make food everyone will eat, but here, I have been able to take recipe like this one and use the same components to piece together something our pickiest eater won’t scoff at. Does he always eat what I give him? Um, no. But at least he gets a selection of healthy foods to choose from.

Other perks of this recipe:

• gluten free

• Whole 30 (as long as you leave out the cheese and have a compliant salsa/seasoning blend)

• made in under 30 minutes

• minimal dirty dishes

I mean, this is basically my dream weeknight meal. And if you’re looking for the best, meltiest cheese, you know I’m going to tell you that Tillamook is the best choice.

Instant Pot Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Makes 4 servings plus leftovers

• 4 medium/large bell peppers

• 1 lb lean ground beef

• 1/2 cup salsa + 2 tablespoons

• 2 teaspoons Penzy’s Southwest Seasoning or other salted seasoning you like

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 cup frozen corn

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch

• 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cut the tops off your peppers and clean out the insides. I like to use my hands to pull out the membrane and seeds. Set the tops aside (I cut them so I have some raw pepper on hand for the kiddos throughout the week).

2. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, 1/4 cup of the salsa, Southwest seasoning, egg, and cornstarch. Use your hands to combine.

3. Fill each pepper with 1/4 of the beef mixture. Add 1/2 cup water to the Instant Pot and set the rack inside. Set the peppers in the instant pot, on the rack, top spoon the remaining salsa evenly over the top of each pepper, and seal the lid. Press the Manual button and set the time for 20 minutes.

4. When finished cooking, do a quick release by using a towel or oven mit to rotate the knob to release. Top the peppers with the cheese, cover for 5 minutes, and serve!