Servings: 5 (5 cups) 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, cubed, about ¾ inch pieces
- 1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- ¾ cup sun dried tomatoes*
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
- 1 cup (6 ounces) dry orzo pasta
- 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach
- ¾ cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- To a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, add the cubed chicken breast, broth, sun dried tomatoes, and garlic powder.
- Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 2-3 hours.
- After 2-3 hours, stir in the heavy cream and orzo. Cover again and cook on LOW for an additional 30-45 minutes, until the orzo is tender and cooked to al dante.
- Stir in spinach and ¾ cup Parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on LOW until the spinach is wilted and the Parmesan is melted, about 5-10 minutes more. If the mixture is too thick for your preference, stir in a little more broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve topped with fresh basil and more Parmesan, as desired.
Notes
For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free orzo, uncooked rice, or frozen bagged cauliflower rice
Use bagged shelf stable sun-dried tomatoes. Jarred sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil also will work, just drain them well and pat dry with paper towels to remove as much oil as possible.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/5 of the recipe or 1 cup
- Calories: 393
- Fat: 17 g
- (Sat Fat: 7 g)
- Sodium: 830 mg
- Carbohydrate: 32 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 88 mg