This is Shoemaker’s Chicken, a traditional Italian-American dish! You won’t find this in Italy! It’s a wonderful combination of sausage meatballs and chicken in a vegetable and tomato sauce. Perfect over a plate of maccheroni or by itself! 

Watch Lisa make this recipe on the Lisa’s Italian Kitchen YouTube channel here.

Lisa’s Chicken Scarpariello (with Italian Sausage Meatballs!) Ingredients:

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed or loose

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

6 garlic cloves, sliced

1 teaspoon Mediterranean Oregano

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes

Lisa’s Chicken Scarpariello (with Italian Sausage Meatballs!) Directions:

Place the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large Dutch oven on top of your stove. Place the pound of Italian sausage in a bowl with 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs or the soft insides of white bread soaked in 1/8 cup of whole milk. Mix well and form into 10 sausage meatballs.

Fry the sausage meatballs in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the Dutch Oven and place on a separate pan.

Dredge the chicken breasts lightly in flour, salt, and pepper. Fry in the same olive oil in the Dutch oven until golden on both sides. Remove and place on a plate.

Take the sliced yellow bell pepper and sliced garlic cloves and sauté in the same olive oil until they are soft. When soft, add 4 or 5 of the San Marzano tomatoes from the can and squeeze them into the pan with the bell pepper. Stir.

Add the sausage meatballs, and the chicken breasts. Stir to cover with the sauce and cook for 20 minutes on low to medium. Serve over a plate of maccheroni or by itself.