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This dump and bake style creamy chicken and orzo bake is the perfect easy weeknight dinner for you and your family. It has everything you need in a simple dinner: protein, veggies and creamy cheesy orzo.
There’s just something about throwing everything into a baking dish and walking away that can’t be beat (you have to try my Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole next!). This orzo chicken bake is SO easy and delicious, requires minimal effort, and has everything you need for an easy healthy dinner with simple ingredients. Here’s why I love it (and you will too!):
- Dump and bake one-pot meal. Throw everything into your baking dish, set your timer, and walk away. No standing over the stove required! No extra pots and fewer dishes to clean. Simply the best on busy weeknights.
- Balanced and nutrient-packed. Protein from chicken breast and cheese, plenty of dietary fiber and nutrients from cauliflower and fresh spinach, and carbohydrates from orzo. Perfect or the whole family!
- Sneaky veggies. The cauliflower is chopped small and you barely notice it when it’s mixed up with everything else. Kind of like my Lightened Up Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole and Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers! Don’t miss my Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce too- the best.
- Meal prep friendly. This recipe stores and reheats great, so it’s perfect for making a batch ahead and enjoying all week.
Ingredients
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Chicken breast: You can use skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs. The chicken pieces are chopped into bite-sized pieces so that they cook right into the casserole dish. You could also use rotisserie chicken and stir it in at the end.
- Orzo: The best part about this recipe is that you throw uncooked orzo right into the dish!
- Cauliflower + baby spinach: Unlike many casserole recipes, there’s plenty of veggies in this one! When everything is baked you can barely tell it’s there.
- Sun-dried tomatoes + oil: Sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil right from the jar adds tons of flavor.
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth brings flavor and cooks the orzo right in the baking dish. Chicken stock would work too.
- Garlic + spices: Fresh garlic, salt, black pepper and onion powder. You can sub in garlic powder if needed.
- Lemon juice: Lemon adds just the right amount of bright flavor. If you like a bolder lemon flavor, add a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Fresh basil: To tie everything together. Fresh parsley would work too!
- Parmesan cheese: Parmesan adds just the right amount of cheesiness to give this easy dinner recipe a delicious creamy texture.
Variation Ideas
- Make it even creamier. You can make this a truly creamy-based dish by stirring in 1/4 cup of heavy cream or even plain Greek yogurt into the entire dish after baking.
- Change up the cheese. Feta cheese or even cheddar would be delicious and would add a different flavor profile.
- Add more veggies. Adding a cup of chopped zucchini, mushrooms or diced bell peppers would work great.
- Use a different pasta. Other small pasta shapes like elbows or ditalini would work great. You could even use spaghetti noodles.
- Add some heat. Add a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the whole dish or top with a sprinkle.
How To Make Chicken and Orzo Bake
- Add ingredients to dish. In a 9×13” baking dish, add chicken, orzo, cauliflower, broth, sundried tomatoes, oil, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Stir. Stir well until combined. Make sure orzo is submerged in the broth.
- Bake. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- Add spinach + cheese. Remove from oven and add spinach, basil, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and lemon juice.
- Mix. Stir until spinach and basil are completely wilted and cheese is melted.
- Enjoy! Add additional salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Garnish with extra basil and parmesan cheese. Yum!
How To Store
Store extra orzo bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Jamie’s Tips
Tips For Success
- Cover the orzo. When you mix everything before baking, make sure you submerge the orzo as much as possible. This makes sure it can absorb enough liquid!
- Chop your cauliflower small. Big pieces of cauliflower won’t cook as evenly and won’t be tender enough, so make sure to chop them small.
- Check your pasta. When you pull out your dish before mixing in the spinach and cheese, make sure the orzo is cooked through enough. If not, stick it back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
If you’ve made and loved this Chicken Orzo Bake or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
More Easy Dinner Ideas
Chicken and Orzo Bake
A creamy cheesy chicken orzo bake with sun-dried tomatoes, cauliflower and spinach.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, diced (bite-sized)
- 1 cup orzo
- 3 cups cauliflower, chopped small
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil, or olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 packed cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup basil, thinly chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a 9×13” pan, add chicken, orzo, cauliflower, broth, sundried tomatoes, oil, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well until combined. Make sure orzo is submerged in the broth.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add spinach, basil, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and lemon juice. Stir until spinach and basil are completely wilted and cheese is melted. Add additional salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
- Garnish with extra basil and parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1079mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
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