Chicken Cacciatore, chicken hunter-style, is a rich and hearty baked chicken dish with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and herbs.

Many traditional recipes call to dredge skin-on chicken pieces in flour and fry until golden and crispy. In this lightened version we will remove the skin but keep the bones attached while simmering. This makes the chicken tender and adds flavor to the sauce.

Before serving, the meat will be removed from the bones and added back to the skimmed sauce. This dish has all the traditional appeal of chicken cacciatore minus the chicken bones and extra fat.

Except for then I added cheese.

Since nothing says fall like eating out of a pumpkin, I decided to fill a spaghetti squash with the finished sauce. The cheese on top is optional. It makes the dish look pretty for a picture and taste extra yummy but is not necessary. A sprinkle of parmesan and parsley will also be great.

This meal is rib sticking scrumptious and I can’t wait to eat it again.

Spaghetti Squash stuffed with Braised Chicken, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Mozzarella

8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 onion, sliced into 1/4″ half moons
1 yellow bell pepper, thick julienne
1 red bell, thick julienne
2 cups sliced mushrooms, white button or baby portobello
6 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup marsala wine (or white wine)
herb bundle with 1 sprig rosemary, 4 sprigs of thyme, and 2 sprigs of oregano wrapped together with kitchen string
2 cups chicken broth
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

1-2 medium sized spaghetti squash

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

1/4 cup fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Set aside.

Using a large dutch oven or ovensafe vessel, heat grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Saute until softened, 7-8 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add marsala wine and cook until reduced slightly, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth crushed tomatoes, and herb bundle. Bring to simmer, add chicken, cover with a lid, and place in the oven.

Cook 45 minutes. Remove from oven and use tongs to remove chicken from liquid to cool. Remove herb bundle.

Meanwhile, turn oven temperature up to 375. Cut spaghetti squash in half from top to bottom and remove seeds. Place flesh side down in large casserole dish with enough water to cover the bottom. Roast until tender. Will depend on size of squash, about 35-45 minutes.

Once sauce has cooled, use a spoon to strain any accumulated oil from the top. At this point, the sauce will probably need to be slightly thickened so place over medium heat to reduce slightly, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

When chicken is cool, remove it from the bone and shred it into bite-sized pieces, being careful to remove any fat from the thigh pieces. Add to reduced sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn the broiler on.

Fill spaghetti squash halves with enough cacciatore to fill completely. Top with rounds of mozzarella and a sprinkle of parsley. Place on aluminum foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil 3-4 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Serve with extra parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.