CK'S KITCHEN: One pan chicken and spinach orzo

With back-to-school right around the corner these next couple weeks, a speedy one-pan dinner seemed timely for meal planning and leftovers for lunch. With that in mind, I give you One Pan Chicken and Spinach Orzo, featuring rotisserie chicken (think Costco, Whole Foods and Sam's Club here) some healthy veggies (onion, garlic, spinach and tomatoes), and the almighty orzo, a perfect bite-size carbohydrate that reminds more of rice than pasta. What kiddo doesn't like orzo?! And this combo can go from stove to table in about 30 minutes. Chef's kiss! Shredding it Don't start making this recipe until you have all of your ingredients set and ready to go; the idea of mise en place, a French culinary directive that refers to organizing and arranging all items for the recipe ahead of time. In this case, that means have all of your chicken shredded and measured, along with the veggies chopped and stock measured. I had a false start because I underestimated how long it would take me to debone and de-skin my rotisserie chicken. But luckily it didn't disqualify me altogether. (I had to throw a little Olympics reference in there being in Paris and all.) So don't be like me and be sure to frontload the prep work so that this dish will come together easily for you. Always do you One-pot meals are some of the most versatile feasts out there. Depending on your tastes, preference and time availability, you can customize easily without altering the essence of the dish. For this recipe, if you'd rather make your own chicken, simply substitute 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes, and brown it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5-6 minutes then add the onion and continue as written. Prefer broccoli over spinach? No prob! Just make sure they are chopped in small easy-to-eat pieces. Of course, in the spirit of this column, I made the recipe as written. My changes? I would definitely add an extra can of tomatoes because you can never have too many and you can definitely have too little. I would also add more chicken stock because the orzo soaks up most of the liquid. Other than that, this dish was a complete hit at my house winning two forks up from me, my boyfriend (who tried it the next day) and even my granddaughter Maddy loved it. She just kept saying "more, more, more" after each bite. How's that for an endorsement?! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net. One Pan Chicken and Spinach Orzo 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 white onion, diced finely 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chicken broth, (I like Better Than Bouillon Base) 3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (basil and oregano version is ideal) 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (more to taste later) 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, (optional if you like heat) 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, (see notes) 3 cups spinach leaves, (measured then chopped) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1. In a large skillet, bring the olive oil over medium-high heat. 2. Sautee the onion until soft, adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking. 3. Add the chicken broth, orzo, diced tomatoes, Italian seasonings, salt, and red pepper flakes. 4. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 5. Add the chicken and the spinach leaves for the last 3 minutes of cooking. 6. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. Source: thegirlwhoateeverything.com