Description
Chicken meatballs and orzo is a flavorful meal that combines chicken meatballs with creamy orzo pasta, sautéed mushrooms, and a bit of Parmesan for extra richness. It’s perfect for a quick dinner or a casual get-together with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Mushroom Orzo:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups sliced white button of mushrooms
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- Slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic and parsley. Set aside.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients (except the olive oil) in a large mixing bowl and mix using clean hands until uniform.
- Form 15 meatballs using 2 tbsp of mixture for each ball. Place the meatballs in the freezer for 5 minutes, this will help them to hold their shape while browning.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Remove mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the same pan used for the mushrooms over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the pan and cook for 1 minute on each side.
- Place meatballs onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the orzo according to the package directions.
- Drain the orzo and return to the pot. Add the sautéed mushrooms, heavy cream, and parmesan. Stir until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve meatballs on top of orzo, garnish with parsley.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 443
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 1177.9 mg
- Fat: 25.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.7 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 30.4 g
- Cholesterol: 174.9 mg