Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Broccoli with Orzo

Basically what we have here is a “there are chicken thighs & chopped tomatoes in the fridge to use up and I fancy something cheesy.. oh and how about orzo - haven’t had that in a while” recipe. No word of lie, that was pretty much the thought process. I popped into the supermarket on the way home and came out with bacon and broccoli so in they went too. And the bf was away for the night which meant I could be somewhat experimental (after this effort the words “I’m being experimental” strike fear into his heart. And it wasn’t that bad. And I’m pretty sure my experimenting actually made it better than it would otherwise have been).

But I digress. This is a pretty quick, simple supper - for one or two and makes for a very good tv dinner (The Walking Dead, I thank you). In fairness this may be even better with a cheese sauce stirred through rather than just bunging in grated cheese but frankly I always have enough to wash up after cooking as it is without a cheesy sauce saucepan to deal with too. And I couldn’t be bothered, truthfully. I’d give it a go though as I suspect it would make this really great.


Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Broccoli with Orzo
serves 2

4 slices smoked bacon, chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
200ml chicken stock
⅓ tin chopped tomatoes (as that was what I had - ½ a tin would be better)
125g grated cheddar
1-2 tbsp chopped poblano chilli (or to taste but they’re very mild)
200g chicken thighs, chopped into 1-2cm pieces & seasoned with S&P
75-100g broccoli, cut into small florets
150g orzo

Cook the orzo in a large pan of salted boiling water for about ten minutes then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile fry the bacon in a large sauté pan for about 10 minutes until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a small bowl.

Add the chicken bits to the bacon fat in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until browned on all sides. Again, set aside, in the bowl with the bacon.

Turn the heat down fairly low and add the spring onion, garlic and broccoli to the pan. Cook for a further 5 minutes or so until the broccoli is tender.

Add the chopped tomatoes & chilli and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the orzo, chicken stock, bacon & chicken (along with any juices from the bowl they were in) and give it all a good stir. Leave to simmer for a few minutes before stirring in ⅔ of the grated cheese.

Leave to simmer for a few more minutes. Then top with the rest of the cheese and pop under the grill for a couple of minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

A green salad on the side is probably a good idea at this point but I scoffed it as it.