One pot meals are my absolute favorite! For one, it's less dishes to wash, making the clean up so easy! It's also an easy way to prepare a flavorful, yet nutritious meal! I have become obsessed with frozen vegetables lately. The veggies are already cut, just need to be steamed or cooked in a small amount of boiling water. They are also picked at their peak ripeness and immediately frozen, which preserves the nutritional value. This is especially nice in the months where local produce isn't as abundant.
This dish can easily be made vegetarian, vegan or gluten free, too!
Here it goes...
One Pot Chicken Sausage and Veggie Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1.5 cups of orzo (can substitute with gluten-free orzo)
- 2 cups of low sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or alternately use 1-14oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1.5 cups zucchini and/or yellow squash, quartered
- 3 chicken sausage links, fully cooked
- 1 tablespoon Victoria's cracked black pepper
- Shredded mozzarella, optional
Directions
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced onions and saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add in zucchini/squash and green beans. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through and soft.
- Add orzo and cracked black pepper spice to pot and stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes to toast the orzo. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low-medium, cover and cook orzo mixture for about 10-12 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the orzo is cooked all the way.
- Add the tomatoes and season with a little salt. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Top with cheese, if desired. Serves 4
