Zack thinks I told you about this recipe last week.
I did not. In fact, I told you about a completely different recipe last week. But that one also involves chicken, orzo, Parmesan, and cream.
I can’t help it. A whole meal that I can cook in a single pot? One that my family will eat?
Sign me up!
So I’m sorry if you are not interested in another orzo recipe so soon.
And I’m sorry if you do make this for that Special Someone and discover that the person does not, in fact, want to marry you even after he or she tastes this dish. (Though I have to wonder about their taste in partners if that’s the case. Because you are just plain delightful. Obviously.)
I digress.
Anyway, one thing I discovered when I made two orzo recipes in two weeks is that all orzo is not created equal. Aldi orzo cooked up quickly in the amount of broth called for in the recipe – in fact, I ended up adding a full pound of orzo to absorb the broth.
So I went ahead and added all 16 ounces of orzo to this recipe, too. But this orzo came from Kroger. It took much, much longer to cook and required extra water to finish softening up, even though I’d already nearly doubled the amount of broth called for in the original recipe.
I say all that to say this: be prepared to be flexible with this recipe.
I don’t actually think that’s why it’s called Marry Me Chicken, but it’s still very good marriage advice.
As are these:
Be quick to forgive. (And, of course, recall its corollary: Apologize already.)
Remember that your partner’s weaknesses are probably just extreme versions of the things you love most about him or her.
Remind the people you love that you love them.
And, of course, always, always order your own fries.
MARRY ME CHICKEN ORZO
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo
2 handfuls spinach or chopped greens (I used collards)
1 (5 ounce) tub shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
■ Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. (If you do not have a deep skillet or you’re afraid your skillet is not going to hold this much food, switch to a dutch oven or stockpot.) Toss chicken pieces in seasonings. Add chicken to hot pan and cook until edges begin to color, about 8-10 minutes. Add chicken broth, orzo, and greens to the pan. Stir well.
■ Cover and turn heat down to simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring periodically to keep orzo from sticking. If orzo begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and doesn’t cook through, add a bit more water, about half a cup at a time. (Mine took an extra half cup of water and about 5 additional minutes to cook through.)
■ Add Parmesan cheese and whipping cream. Stir. Cover to melt cheese and heat through. Enjoy warm.
Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].
Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
