Sausage Zucchini Orzo Bake
Tender vegetables and orzo pasta are baked with savory sausage in this one-pot meal, Sausage Zucchini Orzo Bake. It's a flavorful meal full of hidden veggies for a dish that's perfect at keeping the family healthy and satisfied.
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage mild, regualr, or hot
- 2 medium to large zucchini
- 1 cup corn drained
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 Tablepsoons minced garlic or 3 cloves pressed
- 1½ teaspoon salt divided
- black pepper to taste
- 3½ cups chicken broth
- 1 pound orzo pasta
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ cups shredded mozzerella cheese
- 5 ounces feta cheese
- Hot Honey as a garnish, drizzeled
- olive or avocado oil if needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- In a large enameled braiser pan, start cooking the sausage, breaking it into large chunks. Do not crumble the sausage. The Internal temperature should be 165°F. Once completely browned, use a slotted spoon and transfer the sausage to a dish and set it aside for later.
- Using the drippings from the sausage(or avocado oil if necessary), add in the zucchini, onion, bell pepper, corn, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the vegetables down until the onions turn opaque, the zucchini wilts, and the liquid from the pan dries up, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Next, add in the chicken broth, lemon juice, orzo, one teaspoon salt, and pepper as desired. Gently stir this until combined.
- Making sure all the orzo is covered with broth, bake the dish uncovered at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through and the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the sausage and zucchini orzo bake from the oven, and stir in half of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Then top the dish with the remaining mozzarella cheese and crumbled feta.
- Finally, broil the top of the dish until the cheese melts and turns a golden brown, 2-4 minutes.Remove from the oven, and serve warm with a drizzle of hot honey. Enjoy!