Description
A cheer-inducing comfort food meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken meatballs:
- 1 pound chicken sausage or ground chicken
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1⁄4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp oil (for sauteeing)
For the garlic parmesan orzo:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups dry orzo pasta
- 2/3 cup cream (heavy or light)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
Instructions
For the chicken meatballs:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix until well incorporated but avoid over mixing.
- Let the mixture sit for 10-20 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture.
- Form the mixture into 1 – 1 ¼ inch meatballs.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs on all sides until golden brown.
- Remove the meatballs from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
For the garlic parmesan orzo:
- Using the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a flat whisk or wooden spoon to deglaze.
- Bring to a low boil, then add the orzo, cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place seared meatballs on top of the orzo, cover the skillet, and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Stir occasionally. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve hot and enjoy!