Roasted Chicken with Orzo

I'm making this right now, no pics sry. Anyhow this is a great comfort food for cold days due to the fact that it is sort of soup-esque. It is my wife's favorite dish that I make.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts with skin on (or rather 1 full breast split in half)
5 garlic cloves, skin off
Rosemary
Olive Oil
4 or 5 roma tomatoes
Spinach (I generally use baby spinach)
Orzo pasta
white wine (around 1c.)
chicken stock (like 40oz)
Salt (sea salt or kosher)
Pepper

Phase 1
Set the oven to 475.
Loosen up the skin on the chicken and create a pocket. Rub in rosemary underneath the skin, I use a lot but its up to you.
Place the breasts in a large roasting pan (I use rectangular pyrex like 8x12 or something)
Drench the garlic cloves in olive oil and place around the chicken in the pan.
Salt and pepper the chicken.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

--- while that is happening ---
Par boil your orzo. I don't know the amount, I usually use around half a box or so. Do not cook it all the way.

Slice the tomatoes however you like.

Phase 2
when the 20 minutes are up pull the pan out of the oven and let it sit for around 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes around the pan as well as the spinach. Pour in the wine (make sure its at room temp if you're using a glass pan). Spoon in the orzo around everything and then pour in the chicken stock. Reduce the oven to 350 and pop it back in for another 15 minutes.

When it is done pull the chicken out and set aside. Spoon the orzo mixture onto a plate with high edges and serve the chicken on top.

I've not cooked much with orzo but I've been meaning to. I wonder how this recipe would work if you made an herb butter with rosemary and maybe a couple other choice herbs and used that to rub the chicken.

hmm, maybe some bread crumb topping once you've assembled the entire dish before the final baking.

I've not cooked much with orzo but I've been meaning to. I wonder how this recipe would work if you made an herb butter with rosemary and maybe a couple other choice herbs and used that to rub the chicken.

hmm, maybe some bread crumb topping once you've assembled the entire dish before the final baking.

bread topping might work, it'd make it more of a casserole I think but that's not necessarily a bad thing. As for more spices, I mean its chicken so its pretty easy. You could add sage etc. We like the simplicity of the dish and the flavors. I've refined it a number of times, I might try adding more white wine than broth next time. Overall though its just really yum.

Chicken and Orzo go quite well together :drool:

I know Everyday Foods magazine ain't exactly high class cooking, but I've been using this recipe for a few years now and its quite tasty. Great hot or cold, makes enough to take for lunch a couple days after you cook it, too

Ingredients

Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 pound orzo
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 whole roasted chicken, (3 pounds), skin discarded, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo until al dente, according to package instructions; add green beans during last 6 minutes of cooking. Drain; rinse under cold water until cooled.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Toss pasta and green beans with corn mixture and chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Biggest change I use is the chicken. Because its Everyday Foods, they call for you to buy a cooked chicken from your grocery store. I typically take two large chicken breasts and rub them with a mixture of Garlic Paste, Soy Sauce, Butter, Thyme, and Sage.

:drool: :drool: :drool:

that sounds really good. i like the idea of finishing the cooking of the orzo in the broth of the chicken with the tomato and spinach so it really soaks up the flavor.

I made your dish tonight fal, and it turned out excellent