Chicken, Mushrooms, Spinach and Orzo {A perfect one-pot meal that allows you to read while dinner heats}

I am finally done with the Justin Cronin's "The Passage" Series. Three big fat books in the trilogy. Do you like apocalyptic lit? If so, you will probably like these books. When you are fully engaged in a book and the endings of each chapter leaves you wanting a little more .....I ask you, how can you possibly get a decent dinner on the table?

These are days I want meal prep to be simple. A One-Pot meal is usually super easy and it allows me to sit at the table and read my book. The important things in life. Here is a creamy one pot meal that's pure comfort food. Look at it, brimming with juices and yummy spinach and mushrooms.



Seeing as we like spinach, we served it with a Baby Spinach, Bacon and Tomato salad.



So at this point you may be thinking about substitutions if you can't abide mushrooms. They do, after all, provide some bulk in this meal. My friend Ashley suggested using roasted peppers or tomatoes. I think she's on to something there. Tomatoes would certainly add a new flavor dimension.

Thanks Ashley for the great suggestion! Maybe she will start her own foodie site soon and we can swap recipes. (hint, hint)




I will still add mushrooms to ours as we like them. A little less orzo next time as it makes so much. Pasta is deceiving like that....makes way more than you thought it would. But next time I will add tomatoes and perhaps a cup of fresh corn. Here is the recipe below but substitute and change out per your taste. I always do that.



One Pot Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Starring Orzo

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of butter
1 onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
½ teaspoon each dried thyme and oregano
4 strips of bacon, chopped
Boneless chicken thighs (or breast if you prefer that part of the chicken.)
About 1 to 1 and ¼ cup orzo (uncooked)
Almost 4 cups chicken broth
Lots of mushrooms! I used about 10 ounces, sliced
A cup (or 8 ounces) of fresh spinach
Half cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Juice from a half lemon (or less, depending on your taste)

Instructions
Tip butter in stock pot or whatever large pan will end up holding all the ingredients. So…a big pot. Melt the butter and add onion. Cook for a few minutes until soft then add the garlic, thyme and oregano. Cook a few minutes more

Roughly chop up chicken into bite sized pieces. Now add the bacon and chicken pieces to the pan and cook until the chicken doesn’t look raw. This will only take a few minutes.

Now add the uncooked orzo to the pot and stir well. Now add the chicken stock. This needs to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the pot.

Add the mushrooms and simmer for about another ten minutes. There will be a little thickening but not all of the liquid will be absorbed. You want that so it’s nice and juicy. If you are inclined to dip fresh bread in it’s amazing.

Just before you are ready to serve you stir in the spinach. It wilts quickly. Now stir in Parmesan cheese. Finally, add that tablespoon of cream cheese. Add salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.

This little bit of cream cheese makes this dish very creamy and thick.


* I wish I remembered where I got this recipe, maybe off Pinterest, but I know I made a lot of adjustments for our taste preferences. You could make it vegetarian by leave out th chicken. I am certainly adding those tomatoes next time.


I am sharing this with Beth Fish's Weekend Cooking Series.



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