Creamy Chicken Cacciatore Skillet | PALEO, Whole30

This simple, flavorful Italian dish comes together in under 30 minutes for a delicious dinner in no time.  Serve it on its own, scooped over spaghetti squash or mashed gold potatoes, or with roasted vegetables.  It's Paleo friendly & Whole30 compliant, but you'd never guess it!

Now let's check in here real quick...

15 days friends.  Fifteen days.  The wedding crunch is real- and we are in the thick of it!  We recently got our marriage license which was a pretty easy (but a little weird) experience.  It sort of felt like being at the DMV, and there were quite a lot of characters in there making their wedding dreams come true!

Things are coming together though, and now our biggest wish is for good weather.  Fingers crossed!

But either way, at the end of it all, I know our families are going to enjoy a beautiful night.  The food will be great, the memories will be priceless, and I'm walking away with the biggest prize of them all:  my husband!

So in the meantime, between all of the work stuff & the wedding stuff, I've been keeping up on the recipes & squeezing in some new things whenever I get the chance.  Because while we're becoming husband & wife and then escaping away on our honeymoon, I want you guys to be stocked with lots of fun new things to make!

We're off to Hawaii soon, but the weather here in CA is still chilly- so I'm all about the cozy, one-dish meals that are easy to throw together on a busy night, reheat well for lunches through the week, and are still healthy AND delicious.

This stovetop chicken cacciatore is just that.  It's full of veggies, yet a little creamy, and super hearty.  It ticks all of the Italian comfort food boxes for me!

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts* or breast tenders
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 tsp each:  Italian seasoning, sea salt, black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced 
• 2/3 cup artichoke hearts
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 white onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic 
• 16 oz marinara sauce 
• 1/2 cup baby spinach or basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Add the almond flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl and mix to combine.  Lay the chicken pieces out on a cutting board and dust each side with the mixture, patting to help it stick.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high.  Add the chicken, cooking each side for about 3 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165º and the chicken is browned on each side.  Set the chicken aside on a plate.
3. Add another 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the skillet and add the mushrooms, artichoke hearts, bell pepper, onion, and garlic.  Sauté until the veggies are tender.
4. Stir in the marinara sauce, spinach, coconut milk, and spices.  Add the chicken back to the dish.  Allow it to simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
5. Serve hot, alone or over spaghetti squash or roasted veggies (I like eggplant & zucchini with this dish).

*Notes:

• If using chicken breasts, butterfly them into thinner pieces, about 1/2" thick before cooking.