Creamy Basil Chicken And Orzo Food

ORZO WITH PARMESAN AND BASIL

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
• Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
• Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

ONE POT CHICKEN AND ORZO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with seasoning salt on both sides. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and fry on both sides until no longer pink inside, about 5 min per side, but each cooktop is different so you'll have to watch it.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Dump the leftover oil from the skillet but do not scrape the brown bits, leave those for the sauce.
• Add 2 tbsp of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Add the orzo, heavy cream, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
• Add the chicken back to the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and most of the sauce has been evaporated or absorbed by the orzo.
• Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh basil.

LEMON BASIL ORZO WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a pot of generously salted water, cook orzo just until al dente; don't overcook. Drain and toss with about 2 TB olive oil to prevent sticking. Keep warm.
• While pasta is cooking: pat dry the moisture from chicken tenders with paper towels. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp garlic powder. Sprinkle evenly on both sides of chicken pieces.
• In a large skillet (not non-stick) add 4 TB olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot, cook chicken tenders just until no longer pink in center, about 2-3 min per side (depending on thickness of chicken.) Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
• In same used skillet, add the butter over medium high heat. Once melted, add garlic and onion, stirring 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add wine; deglaze pan by scraping bits loose with your spatula while the liquid cooks. Reduce liquid by half, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and turn off heat. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (1/4-1/2 tsp each.)
• Place cooked orzo in a large serving bowl; toss with freshly grated parmesan and onion/garlic mixture. Toss in basil leaves. Serve with chicken and garnish as desired.

CREAMY BASIL CHICKEN AND ORZO

Steps:

• While chicken is still on the cutting board, pat it dry and season with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Melt butter in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until hot. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken and broccoli and cook until most off the chicken is opaque (chicken will not be cooked through). Add orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook an additional 1 1/2 minutes.
• Whisk 1 cup chicken broth with the cornstarch and add to the pot. Add remaining chicken broth and all remaining ingredients up to the "Add Later"/ cheeses.
• Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until orzo is tender, stirring every couple minutes so the orzo doesn't burn on the bottom, and replacing the lid. Add additional broth if the orzo isn't done and most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted followed by mozzarella until melted. Stir in fresh basil. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper (I add ¼ teaspoon more of each). If desired, you can make the dish "saucier" by stirring in additional broth, milk or cream.

CREAMY ORZO WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• While pasta is cooking, melt margarine in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook chicken, mushrooms, onions and garlic in margarine about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center.
• Stir in flour, thyme and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese until melted.
• Pour chicken mixture over pasta; toss if desired.

CREAMY LEMON-PEPPER ORZO WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; prepare a grill or grill pan for medium heat.
• Whisk together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill until nicely marked and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
• Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions for al dente, stirring in the peas during the last minute of cooking. Drain the orzo and peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the orzo and peas into the yogurt mixture, along with the goat cheese, 3 tablespoons of the herbs and at least 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, until well combined. Transfer to a platter.
• Thinly slice the chicken and arrange on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon herbs.