Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

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This recipe came from melskitchencafe.com, and it was fantastic. I give it an 8. The only picture we got is of cousin Michael cleaning his plate. But, trust me, it’s good. And, there’s a great picture of it here:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/04/creamy-orzo-with-chicken-mushrooms-and-red-peppers.html

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Anyway, there are a few changes, that I put in bold.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

Yield: Serves 4

 

Note: this pasta is best served immediately as it tends to get less creamy as it sits at room temperature – so serve warm right as it finishes cooking! (Incidentally, it heated up just fine the next day in the microwave on low power.)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 average-sized chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 ½ pounds), cut into chunks I only used one
  • 1-2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces definitely use 2
  • 8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered I would use twice this
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced I would add 1 more clove
  • 1 pound orzo pasta it might be good with quinoa
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese) I used less fat
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper I would also add some crushed red pepper flakes. It needs more kick.
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.
  2. While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

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http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/04/creamy-orzo-with-chicken-mushrooms-and-red-peppers.html

retrieved 1-15-14 from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/04/creamy-orzo-with-chicken-mushrooms-and-red-peppers.html

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