Garlic Butter Chicken and Orzo Bake

The recipes that are most likely to catch my attention these days are those that are accompanied by words such as “easy,” “simple,” or “quick.” I simply don’t have time to prepare complicated recipes! This is the precise reason this recipe caught my eye.

As you’ll see, it calls for staple ingredients and it is easy to prepare. Additionally, it has a pretty mild flavor, which is helpful when you have a house full of picky eaters!

Ingredients

For the orzo

(Adapted from this recipe.)

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red bell peppers, chopped

For the chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the uncooked orzo along the bottom of the baking dish.

Add the broth, melted butter, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to the orzo. Stir together. Spread the chopped red bell peppers evenly over the orzo mixture.

In large bowl, mix the olive oil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Place the chicken in the olive oil mixture; turn to coat. Place the chicken on top of the peppers and orzo in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil, then bake 55 to 60 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (the chicken should be heated to at least 165°F in the center).

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Take off the foil and sprinkle the chicken with the mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Notes

As I noted above, this is an easy-to-prepare dish. It only takes a few minutes to put it together—the oven takes care of the rest! You can taste the garlic in this dish, but it isn’t overwhelming. The flavor of the roasted red bell peppers and the seasoned chicken complements this well.

The original recipe calls for the pasta to be topped with halved cherry tomatoes. I used the red bell pepper instead because my husband does not like tomatoes. If you prefer tomatoes over bell peppers, then you might try preparing this dish with the tomatoes.

I’m not using the oven to prepare dinners right now because I don’t want to add the oven’s heat to the house when it is already so hot outside. However, once fall rolls around, I’ll be putting this on the menu again.

What new dishes have you tried lately? Were any hits with your family?

Shared at the following:

Unlimited Link Party, Encouraging Hearts and Home, and Weekend Potluck.