THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

Cheesy Spinach & Chicken Orzo

Regular orzo, smoked chicken, and visible spinach become a creamy, cheesy one-pot dinner. The kids get smaller mild portions; chili crunch goes on the adult bowl only.

YIELD8 servings
TOTAL TIMESee method
COOK METHODOne pot · Stovetop
EST. / SERVING~514 cal | ~53g protein
KEY TO SUCCESS: Keep the chili crunch out of the shared pot. The heat split happens on the adult portion after serving.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 464g dry regular orzo (eight logged servings; check your package serving weight)
  • 300g onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp (14g) butter
  • 4 cups Kirkland chicken bone broth
  • 340g frozen chopped spinach
  • 840g cooked smoked pulled chicken

Ingredients — continued

  • 339g cottage cheese, blended completely smooth
  • 168g lite low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
  • 84g Unexpected Cheddar, shredded
  • Optional: 1 tsp chili crunch per adult portion, added after serving
  • Seasonings to taste (exact amount not recorded)

Allergens: dairy, wheat, gluten.

You want a creamy chicken pasta dinner that starts from one shared pot and portions easily for the family.

Method

  1. 1.CARAMELIZE THE ONION. Cook the 300g chopped onion in 1 tbsp butter, stirring as needed until caramelized. Season to taste; an exact seasoning amount was not recorded.
  2. 2.COOK THE ORZO. Add 464g dry regular orzo and 4 cups chicken bone broth. Simmer, stirring, until the pasta is cooked. No pasta water was added to the filmed batch; the time depends on the pasta and pan.
  3. 3.ADD SPINACH AND CHICKEN. Stir in 340g chopped spinach, then 840g cooked smoked pulled chicken. Heat through.
  4. 4.BLEND THE CHEESE BASE. Blend 339g cottage cheese completely smooth. Take the orzo pan off the heat, then fold through the cottage cheese and 168g shredded lite mozzarella until creamy.
  5. 5.PORTION AND TOP. Divide the shared mild pot into eight full-size portions and top with 84g shredded cheddar across the batch. The kids had smaller portions from this same pot; do not count eight adult portions plus extra kid portions.
  6. 6.HEAT AND FINISH. The creator microwaved an individual portion for about two minutes immediately before eating. Adjust for the microwave and portion, stir, and heat refrigerated leftovers thoroughly. Add 1 tsp chili crunch to a full adult portion if desired; leave kid portions mild.

Keys to success

  • Stir the cottage cheese and mozzarella in off heat so the sauce stays creamy.
  • Use the actual dry-orzo package weight if recalculating macros; the tracker records 464g for eight servings.

Estimated nutrition

~514 cal | ~53g protein.

The filmed eight-portion batch is estimated at 4,110 calories and 426g protein from the recorded ingredient amounts and labels. One-eighth of the untopped batch is approximately 514 calories and 53g protein. A full portion with 1 tsp chili crunch is approximately 550 calories and 53g protein. Smaller kid portions were served without chili crunch and do not carry the adult figures. The tracker records 464g dry orzo across eight servings; package serving weights can differ. Fat and carbohydrate totals were not verified and are not published.

thesplitplate.com/recipes/cheesy-spinach-chicken-orzo

Cheesy Spinach & Chicken Orzo
Family DinnerOne cheesy pot, a mild kid portion, and an optional adult finish

Cheesy Spinach & Chicken Orzo

Regular orzo, smoked chicken, and visible spinach become a creamy, cheesy one-pot dinner. The kids get smaller mild portions; chili crunch goes on the adult bowl only.

Make this when

You want a creamy chicken pasta dinner that starts from one shared pot and portions easily for the family.

Yield
8 servings
Protein
~53g
Calories
~514
Cook method
One pot · Stovetop
Allergens and safety

Contains: dairy, wheat, gluten

Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.

Orzo serving weight varies
Adjust servings

Ingredients

Batch cookOriginal yield: 8. Adjusted ingredients will appear in print; check pan size and cooking time.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    CARAMELIZE THE ONION

    Cook the 300g chopped onion in 1 tbsp butter, stirring as needed until caramelized. Season to taste; an exact seasoning amount was not recorded.

  2. 2
    COOK THE ORZO

    Add 464g dry regular orzo and 4 cups chicken bone broth. Simmer, stirring, until the pasta is cooked. No pasta water was added to the filmed batch; the time depends on the pasta and pan.

  3. 3
    ADD SPINACH AND CHICKEN

    Stir in 340g chopped spinach, then 840g cooked smoked pulled chicken. Heat through.

  4. 4
    BLEND THE CHEESE BASE

    Blend 339g cottage cheese completely smooth. Take the orzo pan off the heat, then fold through the cottage cheese and 168g shredded lite mozzarella until creamy.

  5. 5
    PORTION AND TOP

    Divide the shared mild pot into eight full-size portions and top with 84g shredded cheddar across the batch. The kids had smaller portions from this same pot; do not count eight adult portions plus extra kid portions.

  6. 6
    HEAT AND FINISH

    The creator microwaved an individual portion for about two minutes immediately before eating. Adjust for the microwave and portion, stir, and heat refrigerated leftovers thoroughly. Add 1 tsp chili crunch to a full adult portion if desired; leave kid portions mild.

Three keys to success

  1. 1Keep the chili crunch out of the shared pot. The heat split happens on the adult portion after serving.
  2. 2Stir the cottage cheese and mozzarella in off heat so the sauce stays creamy.
  3. 3Use the actual dry-orzo package weight if recalculating macros; the tracker records 464g for eight servings.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Watch the full cook

Pairs With Your Leftovers

Cook this next

Browse all by ingredient →

Recipes that share the most ingredients with this one — same brands or proteins in your fridge are reusable here.

Chili Mac and Cheese
4 shared

Chili Mac and Cheese

Shared:

Chicken Breast • Cheddar Cheese • Cottage Cheese • Chicken Bone Broth

Split-Protein Creamy Spinach Pasta
3 shared

Split-Protein Creamy Spinach Pasta

Shared:

Spinach • Cottage Cheese • Chicken Bone Broth

High-Protein Weeknight Butter Chicken
3 shared

High-Protein Weeknight Butter Chicken

Shared:

Chicken Breast • Cottage Cheese • Chicken Bone Broth

#chicken#orzo#spinach#cottage-cheese#one-pot#high-protein#family-dinner#meal-prep