Description
Creamy Chicken Sausage Orzo is a comforting one-pan dish featuring tender orzo pasta, savory chicken sausage, and a rich creamy sauce, perfect for cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Chicken sausage: 1
sliced
Onion: 1
chopped
Garlic: 2 cloves
minced
Orzo: 1 cup
Chicken broth: 3 cups
Thyme: 1 teaspoon
Paprika: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Black pepper: ½ teaspoon
Heavy cream: ½ cup
Shredded cheddar or feta: 1 cup
Optional: Spinach or sun-dried tomatoes
Fresh parsley: for garnish
Extra cheese: for garnish
Lemon zest: for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the sliced chicken sausage and cook until browned.
- Stir in the chopped onion and minced garlic, cooking until the onion is translucent.
- Add the orzo to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Pour in the chicken broth, thyme, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until the orzo is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the heavy cream and cheese; cook until the cheese is melted and the mixture is creamy.
- Add optional spinach or sun-dried tomatoes if desired.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, extra cheese, and lemon zest before serving.
Notes
For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half and chicken sausage with turkey sausage. Add vegetables for extra nutrition.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dinner
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large bowl
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
Keywords: Creamy Chicken Sausage Orzo, one-pan recipe, cozy dinner, pasta dish, easy meal