Wonderfully flavorful and comforting, this easy chicken and orzo pasta bake is made with fresh spinach, mushrooms and garlic and is perfectly cheesy. With minimal prep required, this creamy casserole is perfect for a family weeknight dinner.
Mix up your pasta nights with this delicious orzo pasta bake. It takes minutes to put together before it gets baked to cheesy perfection!
Orzo pasta is cooked with chicken, fresh veggies, cheeses, lemon juice, cream, stock and seasonings to create one delicious comfort food casserole that's full of the good stuff. It's a winner for sure!
This flavorful and simple recipe is perfect for the whole family, and I love it because there is very little prep required to put this fresh and creamy dish together. As a bonus, the leftovers are delicious and perfect to enjoy on busy weeknights.
Be sure to check out my Orzo Lamb Stew and Orzo Spinach Salad too!
Why you will love this recipe
- Family friendly: This is a great dish for both the kids and grown-ups. Cook once, feed everyone!
- Well balanced: With a good mix of carbs, protein and fresh vegetables, this is a great homemade dinner.
- Easy recipe: This won't take up too much of your time to prep. Just dump everything into a baking dish and let the oven do the hard work for you!
- Easy to adapt: This is a great recipe to use up fresh veggies you have in your fridge. I love the combination of spinach, mushrooms, onions and garlic, but feel free to experiment!
- Simple ingredients: All of the ingredients used in this recipe are easy to source.
Ingredients and notes
- Chicken: For ease, I used cooked shredded chicken from the store, but you can easily cook up a couple of chicken breasts and chop those up, or use a rotisserie chicken.
- Orzo Pasta: Use your favorite brand of dried pasta. There's no need to pre cook the pasta as it cooks in the baking dish with the liquid.
- Chicken broth: Use chicken stock or broth for the best flavor. You can also use vegetable stock.
- Spinach: Use baby spinach as this is more tender.
- Cheeses: This recipe uses creamy mascarpone cheese for an extra rich flavor, as well as parmesan cheese for more depth.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice adds a nice zing to each bite. I just use the lemon juice, but you can use the zest if you'd like more lemon flavor.
- Cream: Use heavy cream with 35% fat for a rich flavor and creamy texture.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper and dried oregano.
How to make chicken orzo pasta bake
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Brown the mushrooms, onion and garlic in a skillet on the stovetop.
- Add all of the ingredients to a casserole dish, using half of the parmesan.
- Stir everything together so that its is well combined.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake until the cheese is golden brown, the orzo is soft, and the casserole is bubbling.
- Rest and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Use gluten-free pasta if you have an intolerance.
- Make this meat-free by swapping the chicken for a plant-based alternative, or simply add more veggies.
- Add in other veggies you have in your fridge! Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and zucchini all work great.
- Use other cheeses like mozzarella or feta. Try swapping the mascarpone for Boursin for an extra herby taste.
- If you prefer not to use cream, you can use Greek yogurt for a lower fat option.
- I like to use just oregano in this dish, but you can use other dried herbs like parsley or basil. If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy orzo chicken pasta bake is perfect comfort food, and you can easily enjoy a big bowl of it by itself. It's also great to serve up with some crusty bread.
Try it alongside some of these side salads or homemade garlic bread recipes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I love this pasta bake because you don't have to precook the orzo, which means less pots and pans!
Be sure to use cooked chicken in a casserole to ensure that it is fully cooked through.
Risoni and orzo pasta look similar, but risoni is slightly larger and more robust. If you use risoni, you may need to extend the cooking time by a few minutes.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
You can build the whole of this dish ahead a couple of hours ahead of time and bake in the oven when you are ready. Don't make it too far ahead of time as the orzo will start to soak up the liquid.
Once made, let cool, cover or place individual portions in an airtight container, and refrigerate, and it will keep well for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze this pasta bake for up to 3 months.
To reheat, if frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Sprinkle a little water on top so that it doesn't dry out, loosely cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F / 180c for 30 to 40 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use cooked chicken in this creamy chicken orzo bake. I used precooked shredded chicken for ease. You can cook up a couple of chicken thighs or breasts and use those, or use a rotisserie chicken.
- There is no need to precook the orzo. Use dried orzo and it will cook in the liquid.
- When placing the ingredients into the casserole dish, place the spinach in first as this will compact it and make it easier to stir.
More Pasta Bake Recipes
Chicken and Orzo Pasta Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces white mushrooms (227g)
- 1 onion
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon oil
- pinch salt and black pepper
- 5 ounces baby spinach (142g)
- 17 to 18 ounces orzo pasta (500g)
- 1 pound cooked chicken (500g)
- 1 cup heavy cream (35%) (236ml)
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth (710ml)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese (250g)
- 1 cup shredded or flaked parmesan cheese (divided in half) (125g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F / 190c.
- Slice the mushrooms, onion and garlic.8 ounces white mushrooms, 1 onion, 3 large cloves garlic
- Heat the oil in a skillet on a medium high heat. Once hot, add the sliced veggies and a little salt and pepper. Sautee til browned.1 teaspoon oil, pinch salt and black pepper
- Add all of the ingredients, along with the sauteed vegetables, to a large casserole dish. Use just half of the parmesan.5 ounces baby spinach, 17 to 18 ounces orzo pasta, 1 pound cooked chicken, 1 cup heavy cream (35%), 3 cups chicken stock or broth, juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup mascarpone cheese, 1 cup shredded or flaked parmesan cheese (divided in half), 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Sprinkle on the remaining parmesan.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven at 375F / 190c for 40 to 45 minutes, until the orzo pasta is soft.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use cooked chicken in this creamy chicken orzo bake. I used precooked shredded chicken for ease. You can cook up a couple of chicken thighs or breasts and use those, or use a rotisserie chicken.
- There is no need to precook the orzo. Use dried orzo and it will cook in the liquid.
- When placing the ingredients into the casserole dish, place the spinach in first as this will compact it and make it easier to stir.
Leave a Reply