First, gather all your ingredients.

Second, wash and dry all your produce.

Next, prep all your ingredients: bacon cut into 1/2" pieces, rinse chicken thighs, wipe all the mushrooms with a kitchen or paper towel, cut 8 ounces of mushrooms into slices, dice onion, peel and cut carrots.

Then, in a Dutch oven or large stock pot sauté the 1/2" pieces of thick-cut bacon until all fat is rendered and the bacon is slightly crispy.

Once the bacon is done cooking, remove it from the Dutch Oven and place it in a separate bowl. (I like to use a large Pyrex measuring cup or any bowl with a handle.)

Then, salt both sides of the chicken thighs.

Next, sear and brown both sides of the chicken things in the rendered bacon fat. You will need to do this in at least two batches, I recommend no more than four thighs in the pot at a time. Once the thighs have been browned on each side remove the chicken thighs from the Dutch Oven. Place the chicken thighs in the same bowl that you put the cooked bacon in.

Remove all but 2 tbsp of the fat from the cooked bacon and chicken from the Dutch oven.

Once the mushrooms have been caramelized and cooked down, add 2 tbsp of butter.

Next, add the onions and salt the onions. Sauté the onions. As the onions sauté, they will produce a lot of liquid. Use that liquid to deglaze the pan. Use your wooden spoon to release all of the brown bits on the pan and stir them in to incorporate into the newly formed liquid.

Once the Dutch oven has been thoroughly deglazed, add the garlic and cook for about a minute stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.

Next, add two cups of red wine and two cups of chicken broth/stock. Stir until the entire roux has been incorporated into the newly added liquids. Make sure to release any roux stuck on the bottom and or on the sides of the Dutch Oven.

Once the roux and braising liquid are fully incorporated, add the chicken thighs and the bacon back to the Dutch Oven.

Then, add in the remaining vegetables; carrots and pearl onions (if you were able to find them).

Now, add 1 tsp of pepper and add in the herbs. You can tie the herbs up with food-grade butcher's twine. Or place the herbs loosely on top of the vegetables. I recommend thyme, parsley, sage, oregano, or whatever herbs you have on hand. Thyme is the most important herb, if you were to only add one herb, thyme would be the best. (Only fresh herbs do not use dried herbs.)

While the stew is in the oven, prepare mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to serve with the Frightfully Easy Chicken and Red Wine Stew.

First, slice the remaining 6 ounces (3 cups, 170 grams) of mushrooms in half lengthwise.

Second, make the mushroom skulls by making eye holes with a straw.

Next, add 2 tbsp of butter to a sauté pan and heat to medium-high heat.

Then, add mushrooms flat side down to the sauté pan.

Immediately, add 1/4 tsp of salt to the mushrooms in an even sprinkle to the tops of the mushrooms.

Cook the mushroom skulls for 2- 3 minutes without moving the mushrooms. (Don't move the mushrooms at all.) This is to develop a deep brown caramelization on the flat side of the mushroom.

Plate up and serve over mashed potatoes or butter noodles.

To serve the mushroom skulls, place them onto each plated dish as a garnish. Unless you are serving the stew on a buffet--then arrange as necessary on the final serving platter.

If you are making the mashed potato ghosts, pipe them out at the time of plating also.

Severe hot and enjoy!