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Chicken orzo pasta bake in a round, light green oven dish on a white background.
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Creamy Chicken Orzo Pasta Bake

Author: Maretha Corbett
This chicken orzo pasta bake is rich, creamy and irresistibly cheesy – and effortless to make! After a little prepping, everything cooks together in one dish - including the orzo - for maximum flavour and minimal fuss. Just the way we like it.
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Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: International, Italian
Keyword: orzo bake, pasta bake, chicken bake, italian herbs, comfort food, one pot, midweek meal, kid-friendly meal
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 986kcal

Equipment

  • 1 oven-proof casserole dish circa 13" x 9" (33cm x 23cm) or a round shallow dish with a diameter of about 12" (30cm).

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 teaspoons minced/chopped garlic
  • 1½ teaspoon dried oregano or italian herbs (Herbes de Provence)
  • 16 ounce (450g) dry orzo
  • ½ cup (100g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped reserve the oil
  • 3 tablespoons oil reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes
  • 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
  • 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
  • zest from one lemon a medium to large lemon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups (750ml) cooked rotisserie chicken, diced into bite-sized pieces include some of the skin for flavour
  • 2 cups (500ml) broccoli florets, roughly chopped
  • 1½ cup (375ml) mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1 cup (250ml) parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • fresh basil leaves for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease an ovenproof casserole dish, approximately 13" x 9" (33cm x 23cm) or a round shallow dish with a diameter of about 12" (30cm).
  2. Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the onions and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelised and soft.
    1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 large onion, finely chopped
  3. Add the garlic and oregano (or Italian herbs) to the pan with the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn.
    3 teaspoons minced/chopped garlic, 1½ teaspoon dried oregano or italian herbs
  4. Add the dry orzo, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the three tablespoons of reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan.
    Cook together for 2 minutes over low heat, lightly toasting the orzo until it’s coated with the oil and glossy. Keep moving it around to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
    Remove from the heat.
    16 ounce (450g) dry orzo, ½ cup (100g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped, 3 tablespoons oil reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes
  5. Add the chicken stock, cream, lemon zest and lemon juice to the prepared ovenproof dish and stir to combine.
    3 cups (750ml) chicken stock, 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream, zest from one lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  6. To the cream mixture, add the orzo mix, diced chicken, broccoli, half the mozzarella, half the parmesan, salt and pepper.
    3 cups (750ml) cooked rotisserie chicken, diced into bite-sized pieces, 2 cups (500ml) broccoli florets, roughly chopped, 1½ cup (375ml) mozzarella cheese, grated, 1 cup (250ml) parmesan cheese, finely grated, 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste), 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  7. Stir everything together so it’s well mixed, then press down gently to make sure the orzo is fully submerged in the liquid for even cooking.
  8. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan evenly over the top.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling.
    About halfway through, check the liquid - if you want it a little saucier, pour in a splash of cream or chicken stock and gently mix it in with a fork, keeping the cheesy top as undisturbed as possible.
  10. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving - this gives the sauce time to settle, soak in and bring all those delicious flavours together.
    Scatter a few basil leaves over the top just before serving. Totally optional, but it adds a fresh, fragrant finish.
    fresh basil leaves for serving (optional)

Notes

Variations

Meat Swaps:

  • Turkey
  • Sausage
  • Ground Beef or Lamb

Pasta Swaps:

  • Gluten-Free Orzo
  • Rice: Use 1 ½ cups cooked rice for every 1 cup of orzo.

Veggie Swaps:

  • Spinach
  • Zucchini
  • Roasted Bell Peppers
  • Mushrooms

Nutrition

Calories: 986kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 207mg | Sodium: 1529mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1286IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 443mg | Iron: 2mg
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