Queen Cuisine – Greek Chicken and Orzo Skillet

I know I should probably be thinking about summer-time recipes but the weather here is still kind of chilly, so here’s a recipe that will warm you right up. And one of the best things about this recipe is you can prepare half of it ahead of time and freeze it (instructions at bottom of post), so when you go to make the meal it can be whipped up pretty quickly!

This recipe is for Greek Chicken and Orzo Skillet.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb chicken
1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-in pieces
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 pound uncooked orzo pasta (it can be found in pasta aisle, it’s just a round little pasta, almost looks like rice)
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) garlic and onion-flavored diced tomatoes
2 oz crumbed Feta cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives (Costco has a great price on this)
3 tbsp Greek rub/seasoning (see below)

You can buy pre-made Greek seasoning, but if you want to make it, you can combine these ingredients and store in air tight container for up to six months. Just use 3 tbsps for this recipe. (Thanks, All Recipe for Greek seasoning recipe)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon dried mint
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
* 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
* 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic

If you want to do a vegetarian version of this – leave out chicken and use vegetable stock, maybe add more garbanzo beans and zucchini.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch cubes and cook in skillet using olive oil or vegetable oil, set aside
2. Add garbanzo beans, chicken broth, greek seasoning, canned tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water to skillet, cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add uncooked orzo. Cover and cook for five minutes (or halfway through cooking time according to package instructions), stir occasionally
4. Add cooked chicken (from step 1) and zucchini. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until orzo is tender and zucchini begins to soften
5. Remove from heat, top with feta cheese and sprinkle with kalamata olives
6. ENJOY!
7. p.s. I personally think the salad does well cold too. So you can serve it cold or eat cold leftovers the next day.
8. p.p.s. I love that this can all be cooked in one skillet, it doesn’t feel like there are many dishes when I’m done.

TO PREPARE AND FREEZE
Get two gallon freezer bags. . .

In Bag #1, combine:
Cooked chicken
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-in pieces

In Bag #2, combine:
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) garlic and onion-flavored diced tomatoes
3 tbsp Greek rub (see above for recipe)

Seal bag 2 and place into bag 1; seal. Freeze for up to three months. When it’s time to make your freezer meal, follow these instructions:

1. Add contents of Bag 2, two cans (14 oz each) chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Cover. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 lb uncooked orzo. Cover and cook five minutes (or halfway through cooking time according to package directions), stir occasionally
3. Add contents of Bag 1. Cover and cook 5-7 minutes or until orzo is tender and zucchini begins to soften. Remove from heat; top with 2 oz crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives.

If you like to do freezer meals, I recommend checking out your local library for books with freezer meal recipes OR check out Amazon’s inventory for freezer meal books.

Recipe courtesy of Pampered Chef.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. I’d also love for you to share any recipes that you might have.