Chicken day 3 - Parmesan Chicken Orzo

I LOVE the challenge of feeding our family frugally. And I love home cooked meals for my family. So I am constantly trying to stretch the proteins that I use. One of my favorite proteins to "stretch" is a chicken.

I start with a 6$ whole chicken. (I remember getting them 3/10$ back in the day!) Day 1 is almost always a roasted chicken with veggies. Simple, wholesome, and good for you. I stress the veggies. It is not only better for our health to eat more vegetables than chicken, but if I am going to be able to get a few meals out of this chicken, I have a lot of sides to go along. And nothing is cheaper than some roasted carrots and potatoes. After dinner, I pulled as much meat off the carcass as I could, and then put the bones, along with a couple more carrots and an onion, in water to boil on the stove to make stock.

Day 2 this time around was chicken pot pie. I had a couple of carrots left, a partial carton of half and half, the chicken off the bone, the stock, and luckily a can of crescent rolls in the fridge. (If I hadn't had crescent roll dough, I would have made a crust.)

Day 3 I decided to try something new. I made a parmesan chicken orzo. And it is YUMMY.

I started out browning the orzo, diced onion, and garlic in some butter until the veggies were translucent and the orzo started to turn golden brown. 

Then I started slowly adding my homemade chicken stock, one half cup at a time, stirring the entire time as the orzo started to absorb the liquid. As the stock is absorbed, I added more, cooking until the orzo was al dente. Similar to making risotto.

Then I stirred in the leftover chicken, parmesan, basil, and milk. I didn't have to add any salt and pepper because my stock was heavily seasoned. 

The finished product is wonderful. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. A quick pasta dish with chicken that will fit the bill for dinner tonight. Paired with roasted veggies it will be wonderful. 

Creamy Parmesan Chicken Orzo

4 Tbsp butter

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta

1/4 cup finely diced onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 cups of stock (chicken or veggie), as needed

1/3 c milk

3/4 c parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

salt and pepper to taste

In the melted butter, saute the orzo, onion, and garlic until the orzo begins to turn golden brown and the onions soften. Over medium heat, add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently, letting the stock absorb into the pasta. (Watch the heat level - so that the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.) Continue this for about 15 minutes, letting the orzo absorb stock, until it is al dente. Add in cubed chicken, parmesan, milk, and basil. Remove from heat, and stir until all is incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

A northerner's take on a low country boil!

Yes, it is that time of year - MARDI GRAS SEASON!

You would never know I am from the north. This is my absolute favorite time of year. The traditional King Cakes are only eaten from epiphany to fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), so we celebrate our friends from New Orleans for the entire time. Even though I will cook Cajun food throughout the year, we do tend to eat a lot more of it during this season. And of course, we ONLY eat King Cake when it is appropriate!

I have already made a first batch of king cakes, enjoyed by family and coworkers, and last week we had red beans and rice with sausage po'boys. Some of our standards. But today I made a Cajun sheet pan dinner that was amazing. It took the concept of sheet pan dinners, and combined it with the flavors of a low country boil. (We don't have crawfish up north, so I had to improvise!)

I loaded a greased sheet pan with frozen corn on the cob, quartered red potatoes, and authentic Cajun sausage (from Wilson's market in Alabama). Then I drizzled it with melted butter, seasoned it with my favorite Cajun seasoning from Beazell's in Louisiana, and covered it with foil. Not bad for a Northerner, huh?

After an hour in the oven, the flavors mix and create a perfect Cajun feast!

Cajun Sheet Pan Dinner
(Northerner's Low Country Boil)

1 package frozen corn on the cob (12 small pieces)
2 lbs. good Cajun sausage, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 red potatoes, quartered
1 stick of butter, melted
Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large sheet pan (with sides), with non-stick spray. Spread out the corn, potatoes, and sausage pieces on the pan, drizzle with butter, and season (to taste) with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. You can be generous with the seasoning! Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and continue to roast for an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!