ONE PAN CHICKEN AND ORZO BAKE WITH PRUNES, BACON, AND GOAT CHEESE IN MAPLE CREAM

Casseroles|Chicken|Pasta

Ingredients

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup maple syrup

12 ounces raw orzo pasta

12 ounces bacon, cooked crisp and chopped into 1-1 ½” pieces

3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded into bite-size pieces

5 ounces baby spinach leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

5 ounces California prunes

6 ounce log of goat cheese

1, 3.5 ounce package honey roasted chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9” x 13” baking dish with non-stick spray.

Place the chicken stock, heavy cream, and maple syrup in the prepared baking dish. Add the orzo, bacon, chicken, spinach leaves, salt, and pepper. Gently toss everything with your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients and ensure everything is coated in the liquid.

Add ½ cup of the parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella. Use a spoon to light push the cheese into the liquid. It doesn’t not all need to be immersed, but it should be evenly distributed over the casserole.

Add the prunes evenly over the top, gently pressing them into the casserole with your fingers. Crumble the goat cheese in large chunks all over the top, also lightly pressing the chunks into the top of the casserole.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the orzo is cooked and al dente in texture (cook time will vary a bit depending on the type of orzo you use). Spread the candied nuts over the top of the casserole and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes to set and allow the juices to absorb. DEVOUR!!