Cheesy Chicken Orzo Casserole Recipe

This Cheesy Chicken Orzo Casserole Recipe makes an easy, delicious and filling meal any night of the week. It's the perfect way to use up leftover chicken (or turkey) too!

My family could eat meals with cheese just about every day of the week. I have yet to find a dish with cheese they will push away.

They are also big fans of pasta and bacon, so a lot of our casseroles have those tasty ingredients as well. This week I experimented with a Cheesy Chicken Orzo Casserole recipe I thought would be yummy.

While we like just about any casserole with chicken breast, I wanted to ramp up the flavors a bit, so I added bacon and added peas.

For the chicken itself, we had grilled out the night before and I had leftover chicken, so that's what we used.

The result? Probably the best chicken casserole I have ever made. Seriously! My family asked for seconds of this creamy chicken orzo, and then thirds!

I bet your family will love this Cheesy Chicken and Orzo Casserole as much as mine does! 

For the chicken in this recipe you can use a rotisserie chicken that you have shredded, but if I'm not going with recent leftover chicken, then I prefer to use pre-cooked shredded chicken that I make in the crockpot and store in the freezer.

That shredded chicken breast stored in the freezer is very convenient for all kinds of chicken recipes – including this one!

If you prefer, you can also make this recipe with chicken thighs. I went with chicken breast since that's what my family likes, but if your family prefers thighs (or you find them on sale) then go for it!

Cheesy Chicken Orzo Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

1-pound chicken, cooked and cubed
½ pound bacon, chopped.
1 tbsp. garlic
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
1-pound orzo
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make chicken orzo casserole:

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium skillet, cook bacon on medium high until crispy. Move to a paper towel to drain.

Save ¼ of the bacon drippings. Cook garlic 1-2 mins.

Reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook for 5 mins., whisking occasionally.

Add Monterey jack cheese, salt and pepper and blend well. Set aside. In a large pot, cook orzo according to instructions, but cook 2 minutes less. Drain.

Add back to pot along with the chicken, the peas and ¾ of the bacon and mix gently. Add cheese mixture and blend well.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with vegetable oil. Add mixture.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese and remaining bacon. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is browning and bubbly.

How to Make Cheesy Chicken Orzo Casserole as a Freezer Meal:

If you want to prepare this dinner ahead of time and store in your freezer. Make according to the recipe up to the point where you put it in the casserole dish. 

Before putting it in the dish, line your casserole with aluminum foil with overhang on all sides. Fill it with your chicken and orzo mixture, fold up the foil and put it in the freezer to freeze overnight. 

Once it's frozen solid, lift the foil out of the pan, wrap with another layer of foil, label your package and put it back in the freezer. 

The day before you want to cook your frozen casserole, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake as usual.

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Yield: 6 Servings

Cheesy Chicken and Orzo Casserole

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This Cheesy Chicken Orzo Casserole Recipe makes an easy, delicious and filling meal any night of the week.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-pound chicken, cooked and cubed
• ½ pound bacon, chopped.
• 1 tbsp. garlic
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1-pound orzo
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a medium skillet, cook bacon on medium high until crispy. Move to a paper towel to drain. Save ¼ of the bacon drippings and cook garlic 1-2 mins.
3. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly.
4. Cook for 5 mins., whisking occasionally. Add Monterey jack cheese, salt and pepper and blend well. Set aside.
5. In a large pot, cook orzo accordingly to instructions, but cook 2 minutes less. Drain.
6. Add back to pot along with the chicken, the peas and ¾ of the bacon and mix gently. Add cheese mixture and blend well.
7. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with vegetable oil. Add mixture. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and remaining bacon.
8. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is browning and bubbly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 764Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1183mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 53g

Nutrition is calculated automatically and may not be accurate.

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