Food post!

[plunkybug]

Baked Orzo

This is sort of like a Greek version of "Mac and Cheese" with the "Mac" being the orzo, which is rice shaped pasta, and the "Cheese" being feta, though in this case I used feta crumbles with lemon and oregano (and it is yummy too!). There is also a parmesan crust on top.



(I SO need a digital camera! My cell just doesn't have the clarity or color balance to catch what this truly looks like. That, and my kitchen lighting sucks.)



Recipe

This barely fits my mini oval baker from Pampered Chef, which is supposed to have a 2 cup volume.

What I used:

1/2 lb (half package) of orzo
1 4 oz package of Athenos crumbled feta with lemon and oregano (you could use regular if you prefer)
1 small carton (half pint) of heavy whipping cream
olive oil
parmesan (from a can is fine, I used Sargento)


What I did:

I cooked the orzo in a pot of salted boiling water per the instructions on the package, for about 4-5 minutes.

Drained the cooked orzo in a colander and added back to the pan with a little drizzle of the olive oil to help keep it from sticking too much and stirred in the oil.

Mixed in the package of feta, breaking up the bigger chunks.

Added the mixture to the stoneware dish, flattening it, and slowly drizzled the cream all over the mixture, poking down in places to make sure it got all the way through the dish.

Sprinkled the parmesan on top of the mixture evenly and bake at 325F for about 20-30 minutes, or until the parmesan melts and starts to become golden. (I did not time it, but I had someone over for about that long, and I just checked it, and took it out when it looked ready.)


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I served this with rosemary and garlic roasted chicken (leftovers from Applebee's last night).

This recipe can easily be doubled, but is a pretty good amount even in that little baker. At least as a side dish. Would serve two people as a main dish, 4 as a side dish.

Comments

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

In retrospect, I'd probably skip the oil, and just add the cream in with the orzo and chese mixture, then add it to the dish. I might even add a little cornstarch or flour to the cream. It tasted yummy, but it was a bit greasy, and there was not enough gooey creamy sauce. So, yummy, but room for improvement. Play around with it and have fun. :)