This Broccoli Cheddar Baked Chicken Orzo is your new go-to comfort meal that’s family-friendly and balanced. It’s cheesy, flavorful, and made in one pan for less fuss and easy cleanup.
To a 9x12inch casserole dish add uncooked orzo, broccoli, shallots, garlic, vegetable broth, cottage cheese, spices, lemon zest and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well. Ensure all the orzo and broccoli is covered by the broth.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and stir in shredded chicken. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and bake for another 20 minutes. Optional to brown the cheese- broil for about 2-5 minutes.
Notes
If you are using frozen broccoli florets, I recommend decreasing the vegetable broth by ½ cup. Ricotta cheese can be used in place of cottage cheese if you prefer! For the chicken- you can utilize rotisserie chicken or to cook chicken breast at home: pound each chicken breast until they are of even thickness, coat in ½ teaspoon each paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder and bake at 400F for about 20 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165 is reached). Allow to rest before shredding. *I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
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