Skillet Chicken Cacciatore- That's Amore!

I know I haven't given ya'll a good recipe in a while, so here's a GOOD one! I made this last Sunday after looking in the fridge for ten minutes and thinking- "What the hell am I gonna cook???"  I had some left over mushrooms and sliced bell pepper from Friday night's salmon spinach salad. I had some chicken breasts. I had some canned tomato sauce. I had some diced tomatoes. I was drinking some red wine- a cabernet sauvignon if I remember correctly... Chicken cacciatore, maybe? I grabbed my trusty Southern Living cookbook and looked it up. OK, so I didn't have the exact ingredients for a traditional cacciatore, but I certainly could whip up a knock-off. (I get brave and very self-confident after a couple glasses of wine!) Fortunately, my pantry is always pretty well stocked. It turned out great. Even my picky-eating son ate it! He actually came wandering out of his room while I was cooking and asked, "What smells so good?". When I told him it was dinner he was more than skeptical until he stuck his nose in the pan of onions and EVOO that was deglazing with red wine. He said, "YUM! That smells so good!". Score 1 for Mom. Here's what I came up with:

Skillet Chicken Cacciatore

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts- cut into chunky pieces
1/3 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil- I know you know what that means!)
1 medium onion- chopped
4 cloves garlic- chopped
1/2 cup red wine (It's perfectly OK to drink the rest of the bottle.)
1 green bell pepper- chunky diced
8 oz. white sliced mushrooms
1 can tomato sauce w/ Italian herbs
1 can petite diced tomatoes w/ garlic & olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
sea salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. pasta- cooked al dente (I used perciatelli, but use whatever you prefer.)
fresh grated parmesan cheese

Brown the chicken in the EVOO over medium-high heat until browned. Remove to a plate. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until transluscent. Add the chopped garlic and saute for just another minute- do not burn the garlic. Add the red wine to the pan to deglaze using a wooden spoon to rub the bottom of the pan to release all the bits stuck on the bottom. Let the wine cook off a bit- maybe 2-3 minutes at a low simmer. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Bring up to light boil. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper to the pan. Add the tomato sauce to the pan. Add the oregano and thyme. Salt & pepper to taste. Add the chicken back to the pan and stir it in to coat it in the sauce. Add the 3 bay leaves and stir in gently. Bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce heat. Let this simmer for at least 40 minutes so the sauce comes together and the chicken gets tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve this yummy stewed chicken over pasta with lots of fresh grated parmesan cheese at the table. Enjoy!