Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken Orzo

🍗 Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken Orzo

This is such a warm, hearty, and flavorful recipe! ❤️ It's perfect for a cozy dinner, having friends over, or taking to a potluck.

One thing I've learned is that orzo can absorb a lot of liquid. I prefer to cook mine ahead of time, then warm it in the microwave and stir it in right before serving. This keeps the dish nice and creamy without the orzo soaking up all that delicious sauce!

🛒 Ingredients

• 🍗 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
  
  
• 🧅 1 onion, diced
• 🧄 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 🧂 1 teaspoon salt
• 🌶️ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 🌿 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 🍅 1 (8 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil with herbs
• 🥣 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 🥬 4 oz baby spinach
• 🥛 1½ cups half-and-half or heavy cream
• 🍝 8 oz orzo
• 🧀 ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

👩‍🍳 Directions

1. The day before or morning of, prepare the orzo: Cook the orzo in a pot of water until tender, separately according to the package directions. Drain and refrigerate it and reheat in the microwave just before serving.
2. Prepare the slow cooker: Place the diced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker, then lay the chicken breasts on top.
3. Add the seasonings: Season with the pressed garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Pour the sun-dried tomatoes (I chop mine) and their oil over the chicken. Add the chicken broth around the chicken.
4. Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on HIGH for 3–3½ hours or LOW for 4-6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
5. Shred the chicken: Remove the lid and shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
6. Make it creamy: Stir in the half-and-half or heavy cream, followed by the baby spinach. Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 30 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and everything is heated through. Add the reheated orzo.
7. Finish with Parmesan: Stir the freshly grated Parmesan cheese into the creamy chicken mixture.
8. Serve and enjoy! Stir in the warm, cooked orzo right before serving. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese on top! 🧀❤️

💛 My Tips

🍝 Keep the orzo separate: Orzo continues to absorb liquid as it sits, so adding it just before serving helps keep everything creamy and delicious.

🥘 Perfect for entertaining: This is a wonderful dish for having friends over or taking to a potluck. Keep the creamy chicken warm and add the orzo just before serving.

🧀 Don't forget the Parmesan! I love adding a little extra freshly grated Parmesan on top. It makes this comforting dish even better!