Orzo with Chicken and Feta

This is an updated version of the chicken and rice dish most of us remember from when we were younger. Instead of chicken, rice, and cream of mushroom soup, this dish has chicken, orzo, sun dried tomatoes, and delicious feta. It tastes so good and is definately comfort food. It doesn't photograph well, but not many casseroles do!

I hope you'll give this one a try... we loved it!

Orzo with Chicken and Feta
Recipe from ...And a Cookie for Dessert

1 lb orzo
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
6 oz feta or goat cheese, crumbled
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Juice of half a lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
3/4 cup Panko

Preheat oven to 400. Add orzo, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, lemon juice and feta to a 2.5 - 3 quart baking dish. Bring chicken broth, water, 1 tbsp butter, salt and pepper to a boil on the stove. Pour into baking dish, stirring slightly to mix. Bake for 30 minutes.

Mix Parmesan and Panko. Melt remaining 1 tbsp butter and mix into Parmesan and Panko mixture. Sprinkle mixture on top of orzo dish and and bake for 7-10 minutes more until bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

TWD: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

I am trying to figure out something original for this post but I am having a hard time. The problem is that I LOVE peanut butter cookies and it is really hard to me to dislike one. Of course, if one of super crunchy, I probably wouldn't care for it too much. But this PB cookie was soft, delicious, and full of peanut buttery flavor. Another winner for Dorie!

Thanks to Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Chicken Teriyaki Burgers

Here is a delicious "burger" alternative if you are looking for something a little different than the normal beef pattie. The chicken is marinated in teriyaki sauce and then grilled along with some slices of pineapple. Layer it all on a bun with tomato and lettuce and you are in chicken burger heaven!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Chicken Teriyaki Burgers
Recipe from Hold the Onions

4 chicken breasts
1 C. teriyaki sauce
4 slices pineapple
4 slices tomato
4 leaves lettuce
4 T. mayonnaise

Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce in the fridge for a few hours. Grill the chicken and pineapple. Assemble sandwiches.

Bacon Scones

Out of all the scones I've made, I am pretty sure this is my first savory scone. It is filled with bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese. They were fantastic and we all loved them. They were great by themselves but would also be a great on the side of some eggs.

Have a great weekend!

Bacon Scones
Taste of Home

1 3/4 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 TBSP butter

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Cut butter into mixture. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in onion, cheese, and two thirds of the bacon.

Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and pat into a 7 1/2" circle. Cut into 8 wedges but do not seperate. Sprinkle with remaining bacon.

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinnamon Bread

September is here and while it is still in the 90s here in El Paso, fall is coming and I am so excited! I can smell the spice breads and pumpkin recipes... they are on the way!

This cinnamon bread was calling my name and I was not disappointed. It is a mix between a quick bread and a yeast bread. There is yeast in the dough and it rises for an hour before mixing in the remaining ingredients and baking. I didn't read the recipe (major rule broken!) and accidentally mixed in the baking powder in the beginning but the bread still turned out great.

Enjoy!

Easy Cinnamon Bread

Taste of Home

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees)

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup cinnamon chips

Cinnamon-Sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon, and salt. In a seperate bowl, whisk together milk, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to flour mixture;beat until smooth. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Stir baking powder and cinnamon chips into batter. Spoon into greased loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread 5 minutes before removing from pan.