Chicken-Orzo Soup & Cheddar Pan Biscuits

Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Warming, comfort food on the menu here. I cooked off a whole chicken to use for various dishes this week...this soup included. This is a Cooking Light recipe and is perfect for getting back on track. The whole chicken came from my vast supply of frozen food that I am working my way through this month in Yvonne from StoneGable's Eating from the Freezer/Pantry Challenge.

I'm sharing today at my favorite Tuesday recipe events, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table. Thank you Jen, Lisa and Cole for hosting these lovely events each week. Check out ALL the great recipes posted.


Chicken-Orzo Soup
(Printable Version)

1 (32-ounce) container fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
2 tsp olive oil
2/3 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1-1/4 cups water
3 fresh parsley sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprig
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Bring 1 3/4 cups broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo; cook 10 minutes or until done. Drain. While orzo cooks, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add carrot, celery, onion, and chicken (I just added my precooked chicken at this point); cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 2 1/4 cups broth, 1 1/4 cups water, parsley, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard herb sprigs. Add orzo, spinach, juice, salt, and pepper; simmer 1 minute.


Cheddar Pan Biscuits
(Printable Version)

1/3 c butter
2-1/4 c flour
½ c shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil leaves
½ tsp salt
1 c milk

Heat oven to 400°F. Melt butter in 8-inch square baking pan in oven (3 to 5 minutes). Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients except milk in medium bowl. Stir in milk just until moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth (1 minute). Pat or roll dough into 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut into 12 (1-inch) strips. Dip each strip into melted butter in pan; fold each strip in half. Place folded strips in 2 rows in same pan. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.