Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo with Artichokes 🍅🌿

This was the perfect dinner for a rainy night—warm, creamy, cozy, and one of those meals that just completely hit the spot. And the fact that Mark really enjoyed it too means this is definitely something I'll be making again!

I changed the original idea quite a bit to suit us. I used less tomato, swapped the zucchini for artichoke hearts, and cooked the orzo using just enough water for it to absorb—more like cooking rice—rather than boiling it in a huge pot of water and draining it.

I also made the chicken ahead of time in my Instant Pot, so when it was time to put dinner together, I simply cut up the cooked chicken and added it at the end. Easy!

🍴 Ingredients

• 1 package Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese (5.2 oz)
  
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped quite fine
• 1 can artichoke hearts, well drained and cut into bite-size pieces
• ¾ cup (6 oz) dry orzo
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (I cooked mine ahead of time in the Instant Pot)
• Dried oregano, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil or olive-oil spray
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Grated Parmesan cheese

👩‍🍳 Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the Boursin in the center of a baking dish. Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes and chopped, well-drained artichoke hearts around it.
2. Sprinkle everything with oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, then give the vegetables a very light spray or drizzle of olive oil.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and released some of their juices and the Boursin is warm and creamy. If you'd like the tomatoes softer, give them another 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the orzo. Combine ¾ cup orzo, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter and a little salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the water. If it needs a little more liquid before it's tender, simply add a splash of water.
5. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir the Boursin, roasted tomatoes and artichokes together. The warm cheese and tomato juices will turn into a deliciously creamy sauce.
6. Fold in the cooked orzo, chopped cooked chicken and fresh basil, stirring until everything is coated in that creamy Boursin sauce.
7. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top and return the dish to the oven for another 5–10 minutes, just until everything is piping hot and the Parmesan has melted.

❤️ A Cozy Keeper

I really loved the way this turned out. Using artichoke hearts gave it a little more flavor and substance, (but you could use zucchini or some other vegetable if you wish).

This hit the spot. Mark really enjoyed it too, so this one is absolutely going into our regular dinner rotation. ☔️🍲❤️