It’s just very satisfying to place a skillet right in the middle of the table and scoop out essentially your whole meal. It’s family style dining at its best. (Just be careful of the hot pan!)
How to Serve This Skillet Chicken
Serve this skillet dinner as is right off the stove with the chicken breasts nestled in the orzo, and let everyone scoop up their own portions. Alternatively, you can remove the chicken from the pan once the whole dish is cooked, slice it up, and then place it back on top of the orzo mixture. This makes it easy for people to take what they like—and go back for more.
Add a Side Salad
This dish definitely stands on its own, with vegetables built right in thanks to the zucchini, but it’s also great paired with a simple salad, which you can make while the orzo and chicken are cooking. Try one of these salads as a light crunchy partner to this comfort food dish.
Kale Caesar Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing Grapefruit Avocado Salad
Or one of these from my site, The Mom 100:
Spinach and Radish Salad with Feta Romaine and Slivered Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
Leftovers Are Great for Lunch!
This recipe makes quite a bit of the cheesy orzo with zucchini, perhaps more than you will eat at this meal. But you can pack up any leftovers and reheat for lunch or as a side dish later in the week for some bonus round cooking—my favorite kind. Sear the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, or until browned but not cooked through. (It should still be just barely pink in the center, if you want to cut into one of the pieces to test.) Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes until they start to become tender. Add the orzo and stir for another minute to coat it with the oil and onions. Stir in the half-and half and bring it to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer gently for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is almost tender. Much of the liquid will be absorbed, but it should still be fairly runny at this point. Tuck the browned chicken into the top of orzo mixture, and drizzle over top any juices that accumulated from the chicken as it rested. Cover the pan and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F with a digital thermometer) and the orzo and zucchini are tender. The orzo mixture will have thickened slightly, but should still be quite saucy, like a very loose risotto.
