You LOVE EASY 30 minutes dinners, right? This Smoked Sausage and Cheesy Orzo is so simple that you can whip it up in a few minutes after you arrive home from work AND you can make it nearly entirely in one dish as long as you have the orzo cooked ahead of time!
Creamy and cheesy and OH SO comforting, this cheesy orzo is wonderful in so many ways. Besides, it is AFFORDABLE too!!
Especially coming into the fall months. You need meals that are hot, delicious, creamy simple and ready in minutes. Creamy Smoked Sausage and Cheesy Orzo is for you!
WHAT IS Cheesy ORZO?
Orzo is a type of pasta that is shaped roughly like a grain of rice. The biggest consideration when cooking orzo is that it cooks much more quickly than a larger noodle like a ziti, spaghetti or rollatini.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Creamy ORZO?
You might be asking yourself, just how do you make orzo anyway? It is SIMPLE! It sounds hard but is actually simple.
Orzo is just a tiny pasta and I know, it looks like a rice, but it is a pasta. All you do is boil it like you would ANY OTHER PASTA!
Have you ever made macaroni noodles? How about spaghetti noodles? It is that simple! Just follow the package instructions - simple!
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU USE TO COOK Cheesy ORZO?
Is orzo like rice, do you have to be SO CAREFUL with how much water to put in? The answer is no. You want to follow the package instructions.
Please give it enough water so that it can freely fly around in there, dance, swim, do the back stroke or whatever it is that pasta needs to do in the water but just use enough, and you will be fine. The water is poured off anyway!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK Creamy ORZO PASTA?
Like most other pasta's you will find it ready in about 10 minutes or less. The package will tell you exactly.
If you aren't sure and you threw your package away, just like a spaghetti noodle, dip some out, blow on it until it is cool and then taste it.
The Orzo is done when it is no longer crunchy but still has a little spring to it when you bite into it.
It might also taste good with...
Although I made this dish with orzo, I think it would be equally as tasty with rice or even with some other form of pasta (orzo is just a tiny pasta). You could use your left-over rice from some previous dinner even. SHhhh….. I won’t tell anyone!
As an aside, you could also add some other veggies and I can hardly think of any veggie that wouldn’t be good with this dish. I might try some carrots, cauliflower, peas or even green beans in the future. I used cheddar but a Mexican blend would be good too. Just adjust to your tastes!
If you enjoy this recipe, you might also enjoy:
SERIOUSLY GOOD ASTERISK CHICKEN
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR Creamy ORZO
- Cook the broccoli in the pasta water while the pasta is cooking.
- Feel free to add a few more veggies to this dish for added flavor!
- The type of cheese makes all the difference! Use a good sharp cheese for the best flavor!
- Top with Parmesan for added flavor!
- Save a cup of the cooking water and add to the finished dish by 1 Tbs at a time for a more Creamy creamy orzo.
The Recipe for Creamy Orzo
Smoked Sausage and Cheesy Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups uncooked Orzo about 3 cups if already cooked
- 2 tbs vegetable or olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 cup bite sized broccoli florets
- 1 package of Smoked Sausage about 16 oz, typically
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large sauce pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and cook the orzo per the package instructions. Don’t forget to salt the water. If you want to do something unconventional and be like me, drop the broccoli florets into the boiling pasta water for about 3 minutes while the pasta is cooking. This precooks the broccoli to just the right softness for the dish – and then you don’t have to wait for them to cook in the frying pan later. Dip them out with a slotted spoon when they turn bright green and set them aside.
- While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, dice up the onion, bell pepper and mince the garlic. Cut the sausage into disks – about ½ inch thick. Heat a large skillet with the oil on medium heat on the stove top. When the oil is hot, add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and the sausage. While this cooks, the orzo should be about ready. Drain the orzo per package instructions and set aside until the sausage is browned.
- When the sausage is browned, add the orzo and the pre-cooked broccoli to the skilled and cut the heat to medium low. Add the cheese and the milk. Salt and pepper to taste. You can then serve from the frying pan or turn out into a baking dish to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
A VERSE TO SHARE
Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. ~ Jeremiah 17:14
Katherine says
I just made this and why haven’t I before?! I had it saved to my favorites on Pinterest. I forgot about it all this time. I was like I don’t want something too extreme tonight and too much hassle. But I never have much luck with Orzo and this time turned out perfect. This was so delicious and I used a baking dish to put it in. And then in the oven on 350 for about 15 min until cheese was more melty. It didn’t like my pan on stove lol it didn’t effect it in anyway. I’m definitely adding this to my rotation now!! Only thing I did was add crushed red pepper to give it a kick. I’m so glad to stumble on this for something different and yum!!!!! Thank you!!
Wendi Spraker says
That's wonderful! Thanks for letting me know!
Cindy says
Delish!! Especially with a shake or two of red pepper flakes!! Thanks for sharing.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Amy says
I'm going to try this tonight, but one question: is it really 3 quarts of water to boil for 1.5 cups of orzo? That would be 12 cups of water and require the largest pot one could ever own ... should it be 3 cups of water to boil?
Wendi Spraker says
Hey there. I believe it is 3 cups. 🙂
Stacey says
I made this a few weeks ago and the whole family loved it. I didn't make any substitutions. I'd like to make it for a friend who just had a baby, but I'd need to freeze it. Have you ever frozen this dish? Any idea if it would freeze and reheat well? Thanks!
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Stacey! Thanks for asking! I have personally haven't frozen this dish but one of my good friends has frozen it for her parents and reports that it freezes just fine. May have to add a little water with reheating - to moisten everything. :). Thank you for being a lovely person who takes foods to the new family!!!
Moxie says
Why hasn't anyone given this a star yet? I made this because I got the recipe from a friend - everyone loves it! 15 Star for sure!
Emma says
Hi! This looks like it'll be a great dinner! I love the baking pan in the photos...any recollection of where it's from? Also what size is that?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Emma! Thanks for the comment! It is a Le Creuset dish that is about 6" long by 4" wide (tiny). I use it for photos a lot. I think my daughter bought it at Marshalls for about $10 or so.
Merribel says
I love this recipe. I've made a few variations each time playing with flavors. So far my favorite is switching out the milk for heavy cream. Definitely not a meal we have often but really makes it extra creamy. I also added in some chacheres for a cajun kick. Thank for this great recipe!
D'Marie says
I made this tonight & it was very tasty. Perfect meal for a rainy day. Loved the flavor of the sausage with the vegetables and the texture of the orzo. Was very filling & delicious the next day for lunch! Would make this again for sure.
Wendi Spraker says
D'Marie! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how it went! I think you are right - perfect for rainy cold weather! I wish I knew how to pronounce your name! It is so interesting and pretty! 🙂
becki says
This sounds so good! I see that the calorie count was 315 cal/ serving but I am unable to find anywhere that says how many serving this should make.
Wendi Spraker says
6 Servings. 🙂
Amanda Wilson says
Oh my goodness, I made this tonight and my whole family loved it! They're kind of a tough crowd so I was pleasantly surprised when everyone loved it! I made ZERO substitutions and it was perfect!
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Amanda! You are a SUPER STAR! Thank you so much for coming back and telling me about your terrific success! I'm adding the little "I MADE IT" cutting board to your comment so others will see that you made it! This recipe is very easy to work with and there are a lot of variations you can try - if you create something of your own, I hope you will let me know! Thanks!
LaDonna says
I love making this recipe. So easy. use boil in bag rice to save time and have also used ham chunks instead of sausage. Made either way it's yummy and easy
Wendi Spraker says
Hey there LaDonna! Thanks so much for coming back to tell me! I'm adding my little "I Made It" Cutting Board to your comment so others will see! Thanks again!
Jamie says
@LaDonna,
I know it's been a few years since u posted this comment but did u just cook the rice or boil the bag I guess then just add it like the recipe calls for the Orzo? Silly question but don't want to mess it up. Thanks!!
Kim says
Do you think I could substitute peas for the broccoli? Just trying to go with what I have on hand.
Wendi Spraker says
I think that would work perfectly! 🙂
Olamae Ashford says
I made this but I used fresh spinach and turkey sausage. It was delicious. I will make it again. Thank you.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Olamae! I think this is a pretty flexible recipe! I've had a lot of comments about people substituting all kinds of things! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Darlene says
Made this tonight with jasmine rice as that's what I had on hand and was a bit skeptical that it would work but it was yummy! I added a whole red pepper, 2 garlic cloves, frozen broccoli and a bit more cheese than called for...why not!? Also used a cheddar smoked sausage. Will definitely make again!
Wendi Spraker says
WONDERFUL Darlene! I'm so so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for getting back with me to let me know! Everyone likes to see how it turned out for other people! I hope you will come back to see me really soon!
Heidi says
My family loves this one!
Have you done this in the crockpot? We are traveling over the weekend and I bring my crockpot to save on eating out too much.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Heidi! I have not done this one in a crockpot - but if you give it a try I hope you will come back and leave a comment and let us know how it turned out!