Description
Monterey chicken orzo bake brings comforting Californian charm to dinner tables. Mediterranean-inspired ingredients blend seamlessly with creamy textures and bold flavors you’ll savor with each hearty bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 16 oz (454 g) dry orzo
- 3 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 2.5 cups chicken stock
- 16 oz (454 g) container sour cream
- 1–10.5 oz (298 g) can cream of chicken with herbs
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves, torn (or 1–10 oz (283 g) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1–6 oz (170 g) can French’s crispy fried onions
- 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Prep Station: Coat a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350°F, establishing the ideal cooking environment.
- Sauce Creation: In the prepared dish, whisk cream of chicken, sour cream, and chicken stock until smooth. Blend minced garlic, salt, pepper, and all-purpose seasoning to craft a velvety base that will elevate the entire dish.
- Ingredient Fusion: Gently incorporate torn spinach, shredded rotisserie chicken, half the Monterey Jack cheese, and dry orzo. Stir methodically to ensure each component is thoroughly distributed throughout the creamy mixture.
- Topping Finesse: Sprinkle the remaining cheese across the surface and evenly scatter crispy fried onions, creating a textural and flavorful crown for the casserole.
- Baking Sequence: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil during the final 10-15 minutes to achieve a golden-brown crust and allow the edges to bubble, signaling the dish is perfectly cooked and ready to be savored.
Notes
- Cheese Selection Tip: Use freshly grated Monterey Jack for superior melting and richer flavor compared to pre-shredded varieties.
- Pasta Cooking Hack: Ensure orzo remains perfectly tender by not overcooking during initial baking stage, which prevents mushy texture.
- Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut: Store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time and adds deeper flavor profile compared to plain boiled chicken.
- Crispy Topping Trick: Toast fried onions separately for extra crunchiness before sprinkling on top to maximize textural contrast.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 495
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 690 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg