Greek Chicken Orzo Casserole Recipes

GREEK CHICKEN ORZO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix tomatoes, spinach, about half of the cheese, the olive oil and oregano; stir in cooked pasta. Spoon mixture into baking dish. Drizzle broth over pasta mixture. In same bowl, mix chicken and seasoning until well coated. Place chicken pieces over orzo mixture; cover with foil.
• Bake 45 minutes; remove foil, top with remaining cheese. Bake 4 to 5 minutes longer or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Top with grated lemon peel and green onions.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN AND ORZO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the orzo: Whisk together the stock, butter, salt, cornstarch, dill, lemon zest and juice and garlic in a bowl. Mix in the orzo.
• For the chicken: In a separate bowl, mix together the coriander, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken all over with the seasoning.
• Pour the stock/orzo mixture into a glass 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken breasts, laying them at an angle so all but the tops of the breasts are submerged. Shingle the lemon slices in between the chicken breasts.
• Bake, uncovered, until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Top with the chopped parsley before serving.

GREEK CHICKEN WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Crush one clove of garlic and mix with half the oregano and half the olive oil, rub well into the chicken thighs, leave for at least two hours.
• Roast the red peppers in a 200°C oven for about 30-40 minutes until the skin is blackened. Leave to cool for a few minutes and remove skin. Slice into 1cm thick strips.
• Toss the eggplant with remaining olive oil. I like to cook this on the George Foreman grill for 3-5 minutes, as it adds a bit of a smoky flavour, but if you prefer, fry in a pan for 5 mins or so tossing occasionally until cooked.
• Remove the chicken from the oil and garlic mixture, making sure you knock the bits of garlic off, as these will burn. Fry the chicken in a dry pan skin side down for about 5 minutes, turn over and cook for another 3-5 minutes until lightly browned.
• Remove chicken from the pan and cook onion in the chicken fat for approx 3 mins until lightly brown. Add remaining garlic for last 30 seconds.
• Add red wine to pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and add tomatoes, puree, fennel seeds, oregano, red pepper and eggplant. Cook for about 5 minutes until the tomato is soft. Stir in Orzo, half the water and the black olives.
• Place in a casserole dish, put chicken on top. Spoon over some of the liquid, making sure all the pasta is submerged. Put lid on casserole and bake in 180°C oven for about 30-40 minutes until chicken and pasta are cooked, and there is only a little remaining liquid.
• Pour yourself a glass of wine while you wait for the chicken, but do check the casserole every 10 minutes or so, and top up the water if it's looking dry.
• I prefer to skin the chicken before serving, but it's up to you. Sprinkle lemon zest and feta over pasta and serve with another glass of wine.