This is such a delicious, healthy, and comforting dinner. The flavors of butternut squash and spinach go perfectly with this chicken and orzo.
This is not a super fast weeknight meal, but it's not too time consuming because you roast the squash while you make the rest of the dish. Start to finish, it's less than an hour, so not too shabby.
You cook the chicken, then cook the onion and garlic, add spices, and broth and cook the orzo. Add in the spinach and parmesan,
and then the roasted squash.
Get the chicken back in the pan, and voila, there you have it!
This looks beautiful in the pan, and on the plate, and tastes amazing.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Chicken Thighs in Butternut Squash Orzo
2 cups diced butternut squash (about 1 pound)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large shallot
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. sage
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 cup orzo
3 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup half and half
Place butternut squash cubes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet or braiser pan. Add chicken in a single layer and cooked until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the pan, and add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and sage until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Stir in chicken broth and mustard, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Stir in spinach, Parmesan and half and half until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the roasted butternut squash, and add salt and pepper as necessary. Add the chicken back to the pan, and just heat on low for a few minutes to warm up the chicken.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Damn Delicious
