Chicken Casserole for the Soul

I wasn’t feeling great yesterday.  In fact, I felt lousy from the time I dragged myself out of bed.  I spent much of the morning lying on the family room couch, and in the late morning I croaked out to the girls what they could make themselves for lunch.  I vaguely heard them bustling around in the kitchen and, the next thing I knew, the two of them were standing over me.  “We made you lunch,” they said.

It turned out they had made me chicken noodle soup.  From scratch.  Without a recipe.  Is it any wonder that within the hour I was feeling 100% better?  Chicken soup under any circumstances is completely restorative.  Chicken soup, homemade by your daughters without even asking, has miraculous healing tendencies.

I don’t have a chicken soup recipe for you today, but I do have a chicken recipe.  This Roasted Garlic and Cheddar Orzo with Chicken and Broccoli is absolutely wonderful.  I found the recipe on The Brick Kitchen blog.  Despite my sweet tooth, I really try to eat healthy food, and Tasha always has amazing recipes that make it easy to do so.  It’s the next best thing to having someone else make you chicken noodle soup.

Roasted Garlic and Cheddar Orzo with Chicken and Broccoli

(from The Brick Kitchen)

Note: this recipe serves 2 – 3, and can be doubled

1 medium-sized head of garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 cup uncooked orzo

1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets, about 5 cups (I used frozen)

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 Tbsp flour

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

Remove the outer papery skins from the head of garlic.  Trim off a little from the top of the head, so that all of the cloves are partially exposed.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap in foil and roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Squeeze garlic cloves from skins and mash with a fork to make garlic paste.  (This step can be done ahead.)

Cook orzo until al dente, according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Saute broccoli for 10 – 12 minutes, or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently.  Using a slotted spoon, remove broccoli and set aside.

Add butter to pan.  Once melted, add garlic paste and bell pepper.  Cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until flour mixture turns golden brown, 1 – 2 minutes.  Pour in broth and, stirring frequently, simmer until slightly thickened, another couple of minutes.  Add cheese and stir until smooth; allow to thicken slightly. 

Mix in broccoli and chicken, and cook until just heated through.  Add cooked orzo and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve warm.