All I can say is WOW do I’ve the coziest, most flavorful one pan meal for you. After my household (and the entire AK group) fell in love with this One Pan Tomato Basil Baked Orzo I knew I wished to create one other model with a brand new, vivid taste mixture.

This new one pan hen meatball pesto orzo is packed with your favourite basil pesto cooked proper within the meatballs and orzo. The meatballs get completely juicy from shredded zucchini, which provides a simple enhance of veggies, too! Golden, tender mushrooms add an exquisite savory ingredient, and the entire dish will get topped with wonderful, melty mozzarella cheese.

Simply LOOK at that epic cheese pull. This one’s nice for customizing and boosting the veggies, and is the right meal for busy weeks that the entire household will love.

Elements on this hen meatball pesto orzo

This unbelievable one pan pesto orzo with hen meatballs is bursting with savory flavors and packed with nutritious veggies and protein. Right here’s what you’ll must make it:

• For the meatballs: the pesto hen meatballs are made with lean floor hen, a complete shredded zucchini for further moisture and a lift of veggies, panko bread crumbs, an egg, basil pesto, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• For the mushrooms: we’ll even be cooking down some mushrooms with just a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and contemporary garlic.
• For the orzo: you’ll prepare dinner the orzo in low sodium hen broth, milk, extra basil pesto, lemon juice & zest, salt, Italian seasoning, and melty mozzarella cheese.
• To garnish: prime this lovely pan with contemporary basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and purple pepper flakes for just a little warmth.

Make this baked pesto orzo your individual

There are a number of easy additions and swaps you may make on this pesto hen orzo to customise it:

• Go vegetarian. Be at liberty to skip the meatballs and begin at step 5 to make a stunning baked pesto orzo with mushrooms! Add a can of chickpeas for an additional enhance of protein.
• Select a brand new protein. You might additionally dice and sear hen breast, or add sliced, cooked hen sausage, floor, cooked Italian sausage, or perhaps a can of tuna.
• Add further veggies. Get much more veggies in by cooking sliced zucchini, spinach, or bell pepper in with the mushrooms.

Can I make it gluten free?

Positive! Merely use gluten free orzo or your favourite gluten free quick pasta, and use gluten free bread crumbs within the meatballs.

Choose your pesto

You’ll be able to be happy to make use of your favourite store-bought pesto, however I believe my Cilantro Pistachio Pesto could be superb on this baked orzo recipe! When selecting a pesto model make sure you examine the label in case you want this dish to be nut free.

make this one pan hen meatball pesto orzo

1. Type the meatballs. You’ll begin by shredding your zucchini, squeezing out all the moisture with a paper towel or cheesecloth, and mixing it with the remainder of the meatball components. Use clear fingers to kind 16 golf ball-sized meatballs.
2. Brown the meatballs. Add olive oil to a deep oven-safe skillet and brown your meatballs in batches, putting them on a plate as soon as they’re executed browning.
3. Prepare dinner the mushrooms. In the identical skillet, prepare dinner your mushrooms in just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then stir within the contemporary garlic.
4. Prepare dinner the orzo. Stir the hen broth into the pan, then stir within the milk, pesto, lemon juice and zest, orzo, and seasonings. Convey the orzo to a simmer, then nestle the meatballs within the pan and switch it to the oven to totally prepare dinner. Take away it from the oven, prime with mozzarella, and bake once more for five minutes.
5. Garnish & serve. As soon as the cheese is good and bubbly, garnish with contemporary basil, parmesan, and purple pepper flakes, then dig in!

Make the meatballs forward of time

You’ll be able to simply prep these pesto hen meatballs 1 day forward of time so that each one it’s a must to do is brown them and prepare dinner them with the orzo the following day. Merely combine and kind the meatballs, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Tightly cowl the meatballs with plastic wrap and place them within the fridge till you might be able to prepare dinner them.

Storing ideas

Retailer any leftover pesto orzo with hen meatballs in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4-5 days. Merely reheat within the microwave.

Extra one pan meals

Get all of my one pan meals right here!

I hope you like this hen meatball pesto orzo recipe! For those who make it make sure you depart a remark and a ranking so I understand how you preferred it. Get pleasure from, xo!

The
Formidable Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Generally Indulgent, and Completely By no means Boring Recipes for Each Meal of the Day

One Pan Baked Pesto Orzo with Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 30 minutes minutes

Complete Time 55 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

Scrumptious melt-in-your-mouth pesto hen meatballs made with shredded zucchini for a lift of diet. Paired alongside an unbelievable creamy pesto orzo with vitamin D packed mushrooms and brightness from lemon! Get your veggies and nutritious in, all whereas having a comforting well-rounded meal.

Elements

• For the meatballs:
• 1 small to medium zucchini
• 1 pound 93% lean floor hen (or turkey)
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, gluten free if desired
• 1 massive egg
• 2 tablespoons your favourite basil pesto
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Optionally available: ½ teaspoon purple pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly floor black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• For the mushrooms:
• 1 tablespoon further virgin olive oil
• 1 pound child bella mushrooms (or a mixture of mushrooms of selection), coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly floor black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• For the creamy pesto orzo:
• 2 ½ cups low sodium hen broth⁣
• 1 cup milk of selection (I like to recommend complete milk or 2%)
• ⅓ cup your favourite basil pesto⁣
• 1 pound raw orzo⁣*
• Zest from 1 lemon
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt⁣
• ½ teaspoon italian seasoning⁣
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• To garnish:
• ¼ cup contemporary julienned basil
• Freshly grated/shredded Parmesan cheese
• Purple pepper flakes

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 levels F.

• Shred the zucchini: Use a cheese grater to shred your zucchini. Measure out 1 heaping cup of shredded zucchini, then place shredded zucchini in a paper towel or cheese fabric and squeeze out ALL of the moisture/water. This is essential! Switch shredded zucchini to a big bowl and discard the surplus zucchini water.

• Type the meatballs: Within the massive bowl with the shredded zucchini, add the bottom hen, breadcrumbs, egg, basil pesto, lemon zest, italian seasoning, garlic powder, purple pepper flakes (if utilizing), kosher salt and black pepper. Use clear fingers to combine till well-incorporated and kind into 16 golf ball sized meatballs. (You may make the meatballs as much as 1 day upfront. Place meatballs on a big plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then cowl nicely with plastic wrap and place within the fridge till able to prepare dinner.)

• Prepare dinner the meatballs: Place a big deep oven-safe skillet over medium-high warmth and add in olive oil. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides. This could solely take about 6 minutes complete. Don’t worry about cooking them all through, they may end cooking within the oven. You might want to do that in batches, relying on what number of meatballs you possibly can slot in your skillet with out overcrowding them. When the meatballs are executed browning, switch them to a plate and put aside. Hold the warmth within the pan.

• Prepare dinner the mushrooms: Add one other tablespoon of oil to the pan after which add within the mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Stir sometimes till all liquid absorbs and mushrooms have cooked down and begin to flip brown and caramelize on the perimeters, 5 to eight minutes. Stir in garlic and prepare dinner till aromatic, 1 minute.

• Prepare dinner the orzo: Slowly add the hen broth to the pan whereas scraping up any yummy bits from the underside of the pan, then stir within the milk, basil pesto, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir within the orzo, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and Italian seasoning till nicely mixed. Convey combination to a delicate simmer. Nestle the meatballs on prime of the orzo then instantly switch to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes till the orzo is cooked. Take away from the oven, sprinkle mozzarella cheese everywhere in the prime and bake for five extra minutes or till the cheese is melted and barely golden brown in locations. Take away from the oven and prime with contemporary julienned basil, parmesan cheese and additional purple pepper flakes, if desired.

Recipe Notes

*To make gluten free: use gluten free bread crumbs and gluten free orzo or your favourite quick gluten free pasta.
See the complete publish for ideas, methods, and methods to customise this dish!

Diet

Serving: 1serving (based mostly on 6)Energy: 606calCarbohydrates: 57.3gProtein: 36.5gFats: 27.5gSaturated Fats: 9.1gFiber: 10.6gSugar: 9.6g