Chicken Orzo Spinach Feta Recipes

HERBED ORZO WITH FETA

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
• Add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

CHICKEN AND ORZO SKILLET

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with garlic seasoning blend. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, saute chicken and onion in oil until chicken is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, broth, orzo, Italian seasoning and, if desired, pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with cheese.

GREEK CHICKEN ORZO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix tomatoes, spinach, about half of the cheese, the olive oil and oregano; stir in cooked pasta. Spoon mixture into baking dish. Drizzle broth over pasta mixture. In same bowl, mix chicken and seasoning until well coated. Place chicken pieces over orzo mixture; cover with foil.
• Bake 45 minutes; remove foil, top with remaining cheese. Bake 4 to 5 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Top with grated lemon peel and green onions.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH ORZO, DILL AND FETA

Steps:

• Cut one of the lemons into wedges and set aside. Juice the remaining lemon and combine with 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, in a large resealable plastic bag or in a bowl, along with the chicken pieces. Seal and shake the bag (or stir in the bowl) to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook until lightly golden all over, turning when the chicken releases easily from the pan, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion to the pan and stir to coat with the remaining fat. Decrease heat to medium and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the orzo and the broth or water. Cook until the liquid is partly absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Top with the chicken legs and cover with a lid or foil. Continue cooking until the orzo is tender, most of the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on the size of your drumsticks or thighs. Remove from the heat and scatter the cucumber, feta and dill over the top. Serve from the skillet with lemon wedges and olives.

ONE-PAN ORZO WITH SPINACH AND FETA

Steps:

• Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium, then melt butter, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in about three-quarters of the scallions (saving some of the green parts for garnish) and garlic, and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in spinach, adding in batches if it doesn't all fit in the pan at once, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, lemon zest and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is nearly cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 14 minutes, stirring once or twice.
• Stir in cheese, peas (if you like) and dill, cover the pan, and cook for another 1 minute, to finish cooking and warm the peas. To serve, sprinkle with more cheese and the reserved scallions.

SPINACH FETA ORZO

Steps:

• Boil water in a saucepan. Add orzo and boil uncovered for about 8 or 9 minutes.
• While the orzo is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, red pepper, and onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add spinach and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
• Drain orzo and add to spinach mixture. Toss in lemon juice, salt, and feta cheese. Stir well.

QUICK GREEK SPINACH AND CHICKEN ORZO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot (needs to be quite large because you will need to have room to mix once you add the bulky spinach) of water to boil with the bouillon cubes. Add orzo and cook according to directions on box (approximately 10 minutes). Drain and return to pot.
• Stir in all other ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 2 to 3 more minutes to heat everything through.
• NOTE: If you want to use only the white meat chicken in this dish (which is what I have to do for my family) and your chickens are small, you may want to purchase two rotisserie chickens to guarantee that you'll have enough meat. Reserve the dark meat for another use. Serve warm, at room temp, or cold.

SPEEDY CHICKEN, FETA, AND ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Combine orzo, chicken, tomatoes, red onion, basil, and oregano in a large bowl.
• Whisk vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Drizzle over the pasta mixture. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with olives and feta cheese.