Lemon Chicken Orzo

This dish is the complete package of comfort food. The recipe below is doubled to be served as a main dish. If you want this as a side, halve the recipe below.

Adapted from Salt & Lavender

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 4 TBSP butter
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 c. uncooked orzo pasta
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 4 TBSP lemon juice
• 2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 6-10 oz. fresh baby spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often (this infuses the orzo with more flavor and toasts it a little).
3. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often. You will probably need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. furiously boil, and you don’t want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked.
4. Stir in the chicken.
5. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.

Lemon Chicken Orzo: