Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Casserole
This chicken broccoli orzo casserole bakes seasoned chicken, uncooked orzo, and finely diced broccoli in a creamy garlic sauce under a blanket of melted cheddar. An easy, cheesy dump and bake dinner.
Servings 8 servings
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs diced chicken breast
- 2 cups orzo pasta
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-2 teaspoon chicken seasoning (Fire Smoke & Society Chica Licka Bam Bam)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 8 oz shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 14 oz finely diced broccoli
For the chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken with olive oil, red wine vinegar, chicken seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss chicken until it has an even coat on all the pieces. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- In the casserole dish, whisk together chicken stock, heavy cream, chicken seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and minced garlic until smooth.
- Add dry orzo pasta, marinated chicken, and finely chopped broccoli. The smaller pieces help allow the broccoli to cook thoroughly.
- Mix the ingredients together in the baking dish, spreading it into an even layer, and making sure the ingredients are covered with the liquid.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese, and tightly cover with aluminum foil.
- Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is cooked through and the orzo is tender.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes to help the liquid absorb into the pasta.
Notes
- Dice the broccoli very small. Tiny pieces cook through in the same time as the orzo and chicken, while large florets can stay firm.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil for the first 30 minutes. The trapped steam is what cooks the dry orzo.
- Press everything down so the orzo and chicken sit under the liquid before baking. Any orzo poking out on top can stay crunchy.
- Do not skip the 10 minute rest. The orzo keeps soaking up the creamy sauce as it sits.
