Amazing Chicken and Spinach "Orzotto"

Ok. So on a Wednesday night, when you haven't gone to the grocery store, what does one make for dinner? I asked the ever knowledgeable Erin McgP what she could suggest and she said that she has a recipe that her family is obsessed with. Found it on Pinterest {of course} and it's so easy to manipulate and delightful. 

It was super easy actually. And ready in a total of like 25 minutes {which let's face it, is ideal for a week night supper}. I also doubled it so it took a little longer. But OMG this is like the most tasty combination of risotto and rice pilaf and creamy cheesy chicken-y goodness. Probably not the most healthy creation I've ever made, but not the worst either. When I make this again, I will try to cut down on some of the parm, but then I think it would be less creamy unless you didn't let all the liquid absorb completely. Hmm. I also added onions, mushrooms and shredded rotisserie chicken per Erin's suggestion. 

Recipe

Chicken and Spinach "Orzotto"

adapted from Life Tastes Good

{I doubled the recipe, so please keep that in mind with the quantities below}

Ingredients:

Appx 3 tablespoons EVOO, divided (for the orzo and veggies)
2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
29 ounces of water
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
3-4 cloves freshly minced garlic
1 (10 oz) bag of baby spinach

1 pkg sliced baby bella mushrooms

1/4 medium white onion, thinly sliced

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I split half and half with RF Kraft brand, and a real Parm/Regg mix)

Shredded chicken (I bought a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and used probably 90% of the breast meat, no skin, and not the legs/wings)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat a bit of olive oil over medium high heat and add the orzo. Stir until lightly browned. 
2. Stir in water and chicken base and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the orzo is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
3. While the orzo is cooking, prepare the vegetables. In a medium skillet, heat remaining oil. Add the garlic, onion and mushrooms, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the whole bag of spinach and a pinch of salt and cook down until spinach is wilted. Set aside. 
4. When orzo is done add the veggies, shredded chicken and cheese and mix well. Adjust the seasonings as needed, but you probably won't need to add much- the parm will add some saltiness, so don't go overboard! 

Trust me... you will LOVE this. And the possibilities are absolutely endless with what you can add in. Enjoy!