CREAMY CHICKEN ORZO AND ORZO SKILT

If you have a day when you have no time to cook, try this super easy, buttery, and delicious Creamy Chicken and Orzo Pancake! This is a decadent, hearty dinner that’s perfect for those days when you don’t want to spend any time cooking. It cooks all in one pan. What more could you want?

What is ORZO?

Orzo is a small pasta shaped like a football that cooks faster than rice. It absorbs all the water that it is cooked in, so there’s no need to drain it. This makes it an excellent choice for a quick one-pan dinner.

What you’ll need

Just a few ingredients and spices will make a fantastic dinner. You’ll need the following ingredients to make Creamy Chicken and Orzo Skillet.

Seasoning blends. We make our own using paprika, Oregano, Thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. You can use a generous tablespoon of your favorite spice blend in a pinch. However, avoid anything too salty.

Boneless chicken thighs – These cook faster than bone-in chicken legs, and their juices flavor orzo.

Yellow onion- Gives the dish depth and subtle sweetness.

Garlic – Adds depth to the dish and gives it a slight nuttiness.

Orzo – This pasta cooks fast and adds bulk. If you can’t find orzo, try substituting it with another quick-cooking type of pasta, such as ditalini. You can use rice but adjust the cooking time.

Vegetable Broth – This broth is perfect for cooking orzo without overwhelming the dish. You can replace it with chicken broth or water.

Cream – Creates a velvety, creamy sauce.

Butter – This butter helps to bring the sauce together.

Parmesan_ Adds depth to the sauce and a hint of saltiness. It gives it texture.

What can you serve with CREAMY CHICKEN and ORZO?

This creamy Chicken Orzo Skillet is excellent with a side salad of fresh or roasted vegetables. You can choose from the following:

Mediterranean White Bean Salad

Creamy Cucumber salad

Balsamic roasted mushrooms

How to store leftovers

Orzo absorbs much of the creamy sauce in which it is cooked, but leftovers still taste great. Keep in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container. Do this within 2 hours of cooking your dish. If you leave chicken at room temperature for more than two hours, it can contain harmful bacteria that could cause food poisoning. In an airtight container, you can freeze leftovers for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until the chicken is steaming.

Ingredients

1 tsp of paprika (0.10)

1 tsp dried Oregano ($0.10)

1 tsp dried Thyme ($0.10)

Half a teaspoon of garlic powder ($0.05).

Half a teaspoon of onion powder ($0.05).

1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)

1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)

1 lb boneless chicken thighs (4-5 pieces) $4.23

2 tbsp of cooking oil ($0.08)

One yellow onion diced ($0.32)

Two cloves of minced garlic ($0.11)

1 1/2 cups orzo ($1.13)

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth* ($0.23)

Half cup heavy cream (0.71)

Salted Butter 2 Tbsp ($0.30).

1/4 cup parmesan ($0.44)

Instructions

Add the paprika to a small dish. Also, add the dried Oregano and dried Thyme. Mix until well combined.

Dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel, then liberally season them on both sides with the seasoning mix.

Add the cooking oil to a large, deep skillet and heat it over medium. Add the chicken thighs and cook them undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Repeat on the opposite side. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Add the garlic and onion to the pan. Saute the onions until they are translucent (about 3 minutes).

Stir well the orzo, chicken broth, and crispy bits at the bottom of the pan to dissolve them. Then, return the chicken to the pan. Nestle the orzo into the chicken.

Put a lid over the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and allow the broth to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Let the skillet simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the broth has been absorbed.

Orzo will be cooked, and the majority of the broth should have been absorbed after 15 minutes. However, there may still be some sauce left in the pan. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Add the butter and cream to the skillet. Stir and heat on low until the butter melts and the cream becomes hot.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Garnish with parsley if desired.