You ever wake up in the morning and start thinking about WHAT you can create for dinner that day?
No? I can’t be the only out there that does this! I try to wait until 10ish before I start asking Sissy what sounds good as I need to defrost the protein, gather the ingredients, etc.
And then there are days where I’m over ambitious and NEVER get around to cooking … those days are bad but that’s when those freezer leftovers come in hand (aka taco meat, grilled chicken, frozen leftover take out pizzas, etc.)
Anyways. That’s how this recipe has been hanging around for a good 3 to 4 months. I’ve had it on my radar and actually the recipe stuck in my planner and it just keeps getting moved to the next week.
TODAY is the day! Well, no, actually, it was a few days ago but TODAY I am sharing!
Let’s get cooking!
FYI: as a side note and a friendly reminder to “some” of my family members: tbs = tablespoon and tsp = teaspoon!
1 1/2 pounds b/s chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
2 tbs unsalted butter or ghee
1 large shallot chopped (alternatively, you can use 1/2 an onion)
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
2 tbs flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 or 2 handfuls of baby spinach
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream OR half and half in a pinch!
1 tbs lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon (optional but recommended)
salt and pepper (OR Kinders Garlic and Herb Seasoning)
Season chicken with seasoning or salt and pepper generously on both sides.
Melt butter/ghee (and a little avocado or olive oil) in large skillet or dutch oven. Brown chicken on both sides in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches) until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Add shallots (onions) to pan and cook until tender, 5 minutes or so. Stir in the garlic and herbs, and continue sautéing until fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and whisk til lightly browned, about a minute or so.
Stir in chicken stock and mustard slowly, scraping up the yummy brown bits from the bottom of pan.
Stir in the orzo and season with salt and pepper to taste. I used the Garlic and Herbs by Kinders.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until orzo is just tender, give or take 6 minutes. Stir in the cheese, cream and lemon juice (zest as well if using) and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and give a quick swirl to cover so it will melt down and cook a little.
Add chicken back to the pot, ladle a bit of the sauce and orzo over the chicken and serve!
Enjoy!
*Want to make this pretty and presentable? Just slice a few of the fresh lemons and run a kitchen torch over the top of them to “carmelize” and brown them. Add this to the dish as a side garnish! *No, I did not do this, this time around. BUT this dish will be made again very soon AND I will do this then!
**So, let’s bring this out, shall we? Sautéing things in just butter is delicious BUT a lot of times you run the risk of burning the butter AND the food. I would recommend a scoop of ghee, a drizzle of avocado oil (or olive oil) before you add the butter to pan. This will give the butter a little more fat to work with and not burn!
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838 Eats 
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