Monday, January 25, 2010

Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo...

We prepared a dinner recently that was pretty much hands off, leaving the oven to do most of the work. Well, there was a little prep work before hand, but this Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo dish would be great for those nights where you need to get dinner on the table, but can't afford the extra time to tend to it.

Mixed in the same baking vessel the meal was going to cook in, a combination of chunky chicken breasts (no, they are not cooked first!) and dry, uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta) was tossed with copious amounts of crumbled feta, dill, fresh lemon juice and zest. Liquid is needed to bring those ingredients together and give the pasta a zesty pool to absorb, but instead of just using water, a seasoned union of chicken broth, water and a pat of butter was added. However, to give the dish a jump start, the mixture was brought to a rapid bubble first, then stirred into the dish.

All that was needed was to then pop the casserole into the oven (you don't even need to cover it) and leave it be until the chicken had a chance to cook through and the pasta became tender. I wondered if the pasta would become a mushy mess as it took about forty minutes to bake, but we found that was simply not the case! The orzo plumped up nicely, taking in most of the cooking liquid, but it also left some behind that ended up becoming a creamy "sauce" that kept the casserole moist.

As soon as it was ready, the dish was taken out from the oven and sprinkled with a smattering of fresh grated Parmesan cheese, letting the residual heat melt the nutty shreds. Serving six hearty portions, I was anxious to dig my fork in and see just how those ingredients married together. Jeff and I were initially concerned that the amount of crumbled feta might come across a bit too strong in the finished result, but as it melted into the dish, it seemed to settle into a delightfully salty groove with a subtle tangy bite. We loved how the use of lemon turned into a brilliant shot of lightness that cut through the richness of the cheese and pasta. The leftovers reheat well the next day, though the pasta was a bit softer - neither of us minded though! I'm betting this would make a solid vegetarian baked pasta dish too, leaving the chicken meat out and swapping the chicken broth for vegetable.

14 comments:

  1. What a great looking casserole! So hearty and delicious!

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  2. DC - Thanks!

    Quinn - Exactly what Jeff said!

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  3. Joe, tried this for supper tonite, unforunately, it ended up in the garbage. I followed the measurements, mine cooked for 35 minutes, but it turned into a mushy mess that no one could eat. What do you think about cooking the pasta in the broth, adding cooked chicken, then combining with the feta, a perhaps a sprinkling of parmasen, then into the oven for a bit.

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  4. Anon - Wish you had a better experience... not sure what happened as ours was lovely! Sounds like you have a new recipe in mind already!

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  5. I made this dish tonight and it was a huge success. Picky eater number 1 actually said it was "Awesome!" and asked for seconds. Picky eater number 2 discovered it contained Feta and wasn't happy but he too had seconds. Thanks so much!!

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  6. My family loved this dish and it has become a new family favorite. I can't wait to make it for company!

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  7. Jean - Great feedback! Thanks!

    Claudia - Fantastic!

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  8. We enjoyed this dish, too. I substituted 1 cup of white wine for the water and reduced the broth to 1-3/4 cup. I also browned the chicken a little before adding the liquid to add seasoning and a little color to the meat. My husband is cutting back on dairy, so we skipped the feta and just passed the parmesan at the table. This will be a repeater! - Vivian

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  9. Vivian - Love the wine addition. Thanks for your note on changes!

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  10. Hi Joe,

    I made this tonight and it was delicious! I loved that it was so easy to make. Do you think rice could be substituted for the orzo. My mom (who is one of the pickiest eaters I know and doesn't make cooking easy on me, LOL) isn't crazy about orzo. A Jasmine or Basmati, maybe?

    Thanks for writing this blog!

    Carin

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  11. Carin - Glad to hear! I'm not sure how much difference in liquid absorption there would be between pasta and rice. It couldn't hurt to try?

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  12. I've been meaning to come comment. I made this for a dinner party recently, and it was a HUGE hit! I've drooled over your recipes for a couple of years now, but this was the first non-baking one I've tried. And like the others, it came out fabulously! Thank you so much for the work you put into keeping this blog going.

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  13. Heather - Awesome! Thanks for the feedback.

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