Description
Creamy Marry Me Chicken Orzo bowls deliver a comforting mix of tender chicken and dreamy orzo pasta, perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500g chicken breasts, cubed
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 10g garlic, pureed or finely chopped
- 20g tomato puree
- 240ml skimmed milk
- 600ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 200g orzo (dry weight)
- 85g sundried tomatoes, sliced
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 60g reduced fat cream cheese
- 60g reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
- Small bunch fresh basil, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the pan. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set the chicken aside.
- Add the chopped onion to the same pan and sauté for a few minutes until it turns translucent. Then, add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato puree, skimmed milk, chicken stock, mixed herbs, and orzo. Stir to prevent the orzo from clumping. Reduce the heat to medium and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the sundried tomatoes back into the pan along with the chicken. Stir everything together and simmer until the sauce thickens and the orzo is almost fully cooked, about 5 more minutes.
- Toss in the baby spinach, cream cheese, and half of the cheddar cheese. Keep the heat low and stir until the spinach wilts. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash more milk. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Top the dish with the remaining cheddar cheese and fresh basil before serving.
Notes
For added flavor, marinate the chicken in Italian herbs for about 30 minutes before cooking. You can also adjust the cream cheese and cheddar to your family’s preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 65mg