Description
A comforting and flavorful recipe featuring tender garlic butter chicken meatballs served over creamy orzo with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. This dish can be prepared in a crockpot, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop, perfect for a hearty main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, pork, or turkey
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for coating hands and cooking
Sauce and Additional Ingredients
- 1 onion, quartered or chopped
- 1 head garlic, top trimmed off to reveal cloves
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned full fat coconut milk
- Additional water as needed
Instructions
- Prepare Meatballs: In a bowl, combine ground meat, Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Mix well. Coat your hands with olive oil and roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, making about 15-16 meatballs.
- Cook Meatballs: For the crockpot method, place the meatballs in the crockpot with olive oil, pour in the white wine and 1/2 cup water, add the quartered onion and whole garlic head. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours. For Instant Pot or stovetop methods, sear meatballs with olive oil and onions before proceeding.
- Cook Orzo: After meatballs are cooked (slow cooker method), remove meatballs and garlic from the slow cooker. Stir orzo and 1 cup water into cooking liquid, cover and cook on high for 20-30 minutes until orzo is al dente. For Instant Pot, cook orzo by sautéing with 1 cup water after pressure cooking. For stovetop, add wine, orzo, and 1 1/2 cups water and cook 6-8 minutes until al dente.
- Add Greens and Cream: Stir fresh baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and the remaining Parmesan cheese into the orzo mixture until combined and heated through.
- Broil Meatballs (Crockpot method): Preheat broiler to high. Arrange butter and rosemary around meatballs and garlic on a baking sheet. Broil 1-3 minutes until crisp. Peel garlic cloves, chop, and mix with butter and rosemary. Toss meatballs in the flavored butter mixture.
- Serve: Plate the creamy orzo and top with the garlic butter-coated meatballs. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- For a dairy-free option, substitute heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk and use dairy-free Parmesan alternatives if desired.
- Adjust salt and pepper seasonings to taste throughout preparation.
- If the orzo absorbs too much liquid and becomes dry, add additional water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
- Meatball size can be adjusted but cooking time may vary accordingly.
- Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
