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| One-Pan Chicken & Orzo Skillet Dinner |
Tasty chicken and pasta skillet dinner cooks in one pan and is ready in 30 minutes!
I’m not much into fussing anymore–I like quick, easy and of course, tasty. This chicken and orzo dinner fulfills every one of those requirements.
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| Cooks all in one pan! |
Let me tell you about orzo–I have a boatload of it. Nope, not because it’s my personal favorite or anything. In fact, it happens to be the last pasta shape I think of using. I don’t dislike it, it’s just that it’s so much like rice because of it’s shape, I tend to use…well..rice.
I ended up with about a dozen boxes of it because of my sister. She lives in the UK and this was one pasta shape they didn’t sell there. Her family LOVES the stuff, so any time she came for a visit and pasta was on sale, she’d stock up. Of course she couldn’t get everything she bought back with her, so she’d leave it here to take back on her next visit–about 6 months away.
Anyway, last batch she bought and left here, stayed here because they started selling it in the UK. So, I was stuck with the stuff. She gifted me with it with the usual, “Use it in good health.”
Since I had to use the stuff, I filled up a big Lock & Lock container and left it in the cupboard. This was a time I figured I could put some of it to good use. Actually, it was perfect for this because it cooks and cooks fast. Plus it absorbed the flavor of the chicken and the stock.
I added some bacon here that I had left over from baking my Bacon and Cheese Dog Biscuits so I added that to use it up. As much as I love bacon, this dish doesn’t need it. So if you are iffy about adding it, just use bacon as a garnish to see if it improves the flavor for YOU. I don’t think it’s necessary, even though I added it.
One-Pan Chicken & Orzo Skillet Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breasts medium boneless
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 pouches Swanson Flavor Boost*
- 2 tbsp instant onion flakes
- 2 strips crisp bacon diced (optional)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup orzo
SEASONED FLOUR
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch curry powder
Instructions
- *You may use 2 cups of very rich chicken stock in place of the Flavor Boost. If you do, omit the water.
- Pound chicken breast to about 1/2-inch thickness between 2 sheets of waxed paper with a mallet.
- Mix seasoned flour ingredients and dredge each chicken breast with the flour mixture.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Brown chicken breasts well on each side--don't worry if the butter becomes brown butter--it's part of the flavoring process.
- Remove chicken and in the same pan, add the uncooked orzo and brown in the remaining butter in the pan. Add the 2 cups of water, the Flavor Boost and dehydrated onion; stir.
- Place browned chicken breast on top of orzo mixture. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the diced bacon and broccoli florets. Cover and continue simmering for 10-15 minutes or until water is almost absorbed and broccoli is cooked to crisp-tender (don't let it overcook).
- Serves 2 (or 4 with light appetites)
Nutrition
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| One-Pan Chicken & Orzo Skillet Dinner |
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Karen says
Did you use frozen or fresh broccoli? How much?
Judith Hanneman says
I used frozen–there may have been about 1 cup in the bag. Good way to use odds and ends leftovers of frozen veggies. But you could use fresh too if you wanted.
NJM says
This sounds delicious! I'm going to try and make it tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.
Judith Hanneman says
This was excellent NIM! Delicious and cooks all in one pan…what can be better?