I’m a huge fan of Half-Baked Harvest’s recipes and this Lemon Cream Sauce Smothered Chicken and Orzo recipe recently caught my eye. Long story short? It is such a crowd-pleaser!
INGREDIENTS
Thinly sliced chicken breasts or small chicken thighs
All-purpose flour
Paprika
Dried thyme
Salted butter
Garlic
Chili flakes
Chicken broth
White wine – or you can use additional broth
Chopped kale or baby spinach
Dry orzo pasta
Whole milk – or use canned coconut milk
Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION
First, season the chicken. Before you begin cooking, season and flour the chicken. Start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, dredge the chicken through a mix of paprika, half of the dried thyme, and a scoop of flour. Press the flour mix onto the cutlets to fully coat.
The flour creates a coating that allows the sauce to thicken and become crisp.
Next, sear the chicken in a cast iron skillet. Cook the chicken with a sliver of butter. Pan-sear the chicken until the crust is golden and the butter browns around it.
Add more butter, garlic, dried thyme and chili flakes. Cook until you can really smell that garlic.
Now, make the lemon pan gravy. Add the wine. Cook for a few minutes, then add the broth. Next, add the kale or spinach and season with salt and pepper.
Next, add the orzo and milk to the pan. Cook for 5 or 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and parmesan. Top the dish with basil.
Take the skillet off the burner and put it in the oven at 350 degress to finish cooking and melt the cheese even more. When the cheese has melted, remove the dish from the oven.
You should hopefully have some sauce surrounding the chicken and the orzo. Add lots of fresh basil. It’s going to look delish and smell even better!
*Half Bake Harvest did not proffer liquid amounts but I used 1 cup of orzo and liquids that collectively equated to 2 cups
