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🍗 Chicken & poultry

Demi Lovato's honeymoon chicken

Creamy, sun-dried tomatoey, and all in one pan

⏱️ Time estimate: about 30 minutes

This skillet dinner takes the cozy romance of marry-me chicken and folds in orzo and broccoli so the whole supper lands in one creamy pan with leeks, broth, cream, and a little shower of parmesan.

Creamy honeymoon chicken with orzo and broccoli in a skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 leek, white and tender green parts, chopped and rinsed, or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 cup orzo
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons grated Pecorino or Parmesan
  • 1 small broccoli crown, cut into small florets, about 3/4 cup
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and cut each breast lengthwise into 2 pieces. Season with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour and shake off the excess.
  2. Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden on the first side, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Soften the leeks. Add the leeks to the same skillet with a pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes, until wilted and just taking on a little color.
  4. Build the base. Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and thyme for about 30 seconds, then add the orzo and stir for 1 minute so it gets coated in all the good things.
  5. Simmer everything together. Pour in the broth, cream, and cheese and stir to combine. Add the broccoli florets, nudging them into the liquid, then tuck the chicken and any juices back into the pan.
  6. Cover and finish. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
  7. Serve. Spoon into bowls or onto plates and scatter over chopped parsley.

Cozy note: this is one of those tidy little dinners where the starch, veg, and chicken all sort themselves out in one pan, which feels awfully smug in the best way.