**Baked Chicken & Creamy Tuscan Orzo** {8.21.2024}

I made this recipe on Monday, and it was fairly simple and quick.

I’m all about a quick, easy meal during the week because I’m usually tired and also coming in on two wheels. I don’t need it to be too complicated either.

I started with prepping my chicken to bake. I used chicken breasts, but I’m sure you can use any chicken. Just adjust the cooking time.

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Rub 2-3 Tablespoons Olive oil on chicken. Sprinkle with Salt, Pepper and Greek Seasoning. Rub in 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.

Start baking and bake for about 40 minutes. Adjust the time depending on the size of the chicken piece.

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Add 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil and 2 Tablespoons butter to a hot skillet. Dice up a 1/2 onion, add to pan and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until soft.

Add 4 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 cup uncooked orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often to infuse the orzo with the flavors.

Add 2 cups chicken broth and 1 cup heavy/whipping cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes (uncovered), stirring fairly often. You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should steadily bubble (not furiously boil), and you don’t want the liquid to cook off too much before the pasta is done.

Take the pot off the heat, and stir in 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan and 2 cups spinach. Cover the pot for a few minutes until it has thickened up to your liking. The orzo will absorb the liquid quickly, so if it still seems like there’s too much liquid, just wait a little bit longer. Season with salt & pepper as needed.

And, that’s it! So easy. Just slice up the chicken and combine for a delicious, easy meal.

See you back on Friday!

Thank you to Amazon and Collective Voice for sponsoring this post! This post contains affiliate links.