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Avatar photoIsha Joe

Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe

This creamy Tuscan chicken and orzo casserole bake is a crowd-pleasing dish that's simple to make. It is easy to make ahead for meal planning and leftovers taste great the next day. You'll love how simple it is, but the result is cheesy, creamy, savory, and bursting with veggies and protein. It's an easy meal you'll crave time and time again!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 344
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large chicken breasts or 1 1/4 lbs, (about 3 cups cooked chopped chicken)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 12-16 oz orzo* depending on the brand (Dellalo = 16 oz, Barilla = 12 oz, see notes*)
  • 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves 2-3 oz, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes*
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2/3 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated or shredded
  • 5 medium garlic cloves minced, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt plus more to season chicken
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper plus more to season chicken
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray or grease with butter.
  2. Prep Chicken – If you aren’t using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Sautee chicken breast for about 4 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through to 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove to a cutting board and cool for 5 minutes, then dice into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Assemble the Casserole – into the prepared 9×13 casserole, add chicken stock, heavy cream, orzo, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, half of your mozzarella, half of your parmesan cheese (save the remaining cheese for the topping), garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir everything to combine, then flatten the top into an even layer.
  4. Bake – add the remaining parmesan and mozzarella over the top of the casserole, then bake uncovered in the preheated oven at 375˚F for 40-45 minutes or until the orzo is tender or your desired doneness.*
  5. Rest Casserole – Once the dish is out of the oven, let it rest and thicken up* for 10 minutes, then stir gently to combine and enjoy!

Notes

You replace tomatoes with 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped, but add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid.
The type of pasta you use matters. For the best results, I recommend using a high-quality Italian bronze cut orzo made from 100% hard durum semolina. The bronze-cut method gives the pasta a rougher surface, and it doesn’t expand and absorb as much liquid, resulting in a creamier pasta. Some of my favorite brands are Dellalo, De Cecco, Rustichella d’Abruzzo, and Pastificio Di Martino. They hold up perfectly al dente and make such a difference in your dish. Here’s how to adjust the amount of pasta and timing:
–With a high-quality Italian orzo, use 16 oz and cook closer to 45 minutes
–With a lower quality or cheaper orzo, use 12 oz since it expands more. Cooks faster, about 40 minutes.
**If the Pasta casserole seems dry (some pastas absorb more liquid than others, add 1/2 cup of hot liquid – either water, broth, or cream and stir it in.