Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Roast the chicken and red peppers
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a 9×13-inch baking dish, combine cubed chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic, and diced red pepper.
- Toss well and spread into an even layer.
- Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is just turning opaque and lightly golden at the edges. It should not be fully cooked through. It will finish cooking with the orzo.
- This quick roast removes the raw edge from the garlic and ensures the chicken cooks properly once the liquid is added.
Add the orzo and artichokes
- Remove the dish from the oven.
- Add orzo, hot chicken stock, cream or milk, Parmesan, drained artichokes, and oregano.
- Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the dish. Make sure the orzo is mostly submerged.
- Cover tightly with foil. I also recommend using a baking sheet under the casserole dish at this point, simply for ease and safety of transferring the casserole dish full of liquid into the oven!
Bake until tender
- Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
- Bake covered for 35-45 minutes, until the orzo is tender, the chicken is cooked through, and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- If it looks slightly loose, uncover and bake 3–5 minutes more.
Finish
- Stir in the spinach. It will wilt immediately from the heat.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Let rest 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.
Nutrition
Notes
See the post for more information, photos and tips.