Effortless Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo (Printable Version)
Tender orzo, juicy chicken, and bright broccoli get coated in a super cheesy sauce for an easy 30-minute meal. Pure comfort food that’s easy enough for any night.
# What You'll Need:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
Salt & pepper to your liking
02 -
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
03 -
2 cups cooked rotisserie or shredded chicken
04 -
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
05 -
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
06 -
2 cups chicken broth
07 -
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
08 -
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
09 -
3 crushed garlic cloves
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2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
11 -
1/2 onion, diced
12 -
1 tablespoon butter
13 -
1 tablespoon olive oil
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Take the pot off the burner. Dump in all the cheddar and give it a good stir till it melts and things look smooth. Add salt and pepper. If it’s too runny, just pop the lid on and let the pot hang out for a few to thicken.
02 -
Now toss in your shredded chicken and mix everything so it gets spread out and nice and hot in there.
03 -
Pour in your chicken broth, heavy cream, and Worcestershire. Once you start seeing little bubbles, lower the heat just a bit. Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes with no cover, stirring here and there. Go easy on the heat—you want things cooking easy, not boiling wild, so the orzo stays soft and the sauce doesn’t dry out.
04 -
Toss in your minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Stir for half a minute so the garlic perks up and you smell it.
05 -
Throw in the broccoli florets and cook for another couple minutes. Keep stirring so nothing sticks or scorches.
06 -
Add both butter and olive oil to your pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Toss in your onion and cook for 3-4 minutes till it softens and goes a bit see-through.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
If things get too thick in the pot, just pour in a splash more broth or cream to loosen it up
02 -
Want crunchier broccoli? Wait and add it close to the end of cooking
03 -
Rotisserie chicken is a huge time saver here