Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Peas

Sometimes I get a little carried away at Trader Joe's.  Does this happen to anyone else?  I don't go often because it's a bit far from my house, but when I do I feel like it's perfectly healthy to grab anything and everything off of the shelves.  On my last trip, I was a little more conscious (for some inexplicable reason) and discovered that some items are still packing preservatives and additives.  I am still a HUGE Trader Joe's fan, but it caused me to come home and "google" some information about Trader Joe's products.  I found this great article... it's a good read, full of information, and gives a great outline of "hits" and "misses".  Which explains why I'm showing you this picture:

Total hit.

So,  onto the recipe...
thank you a million times Katie from Spirals and Spatulas for posting this amazing dish!  I saw this last week, and knew I had to make it ... especially since I had a whole container of parm to use!  I just added some grilled chicken ... it's perfect if you already have leftover or rotisserie chicken, too!  I happily ate way too much of this.
Best dishes and yummy dreams!

xo,

Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Peas

My take on Katie's post from Spirals and Spatulas

Serves 4-6 

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 c. orzo

5 cups (approx. a 26 oz. container) of chicken stock

2 c. thawed peas

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 c. grated parmesan 

3 chicken breasts

olive oil

spices for chicken 

(I used a mixture of paprika, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.)

1.  Prepare the chicken breasts by brushing them with olive oil and coating them with a spice mixture of your choice.  Grill until cooked through and then set aside.

2.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion.  Cook until the onion is transparent.

3.  Add the garlic and orzo.  Toast the orzo for 2-3 minutes.

4.  Slowly add the stock, one cup at a time (as needed), cover and allow the pasta to cook until tender.  

*Check to make sure the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pan, if it is, add more liquid.

5.  Add the peas, parsley, salt, pepper, and parmesan.  

6.  Slice the chicken breasts and serve the orzo topped with chicken and extra parmesan.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading, loves xo