Creamy Garlic Herb Sausage Orzo

This Creamy Garlic Herb Sausage Orzo is the kind of cozy dump and bake oven dinner that feels almost too easy for how comforting it turns out in the end. Everything gets added to one pan and baked in the oven, so you get a rich, creamy meal with hardly any hands-on work. With savory sausage, tender orzo, and plenty of garlic and herbs, it’s the perfect recipe for busy nights when you need dinner to feel simple yet satisfying.

I had a friend that had surgery the other day and I wanted to do something nice for her that would help take some of the pressure off her and make her life a little bit easier.

So I decided to prepare this dump and bake recipe and drop it off to her so that when she was at home recovering all she had to do was pop it into the oven and bake it, and her family would be fed. I chose this recipe because it’s one of my husband’s favorite dump and bake recipes that I make, and that is great news for me because it’s so simple to make. My stepsons also devour it.

I hope you will give it a try.

Make this Creamy Garlic and Herb Sausage Orzo when…

• you want something you can throw together and walk away from without having to babysit something on the stove.
• you have no energy, or are unable to stand for long periods of time
• you want something super easy that people that don’t normally cook can’t mess up

Ingredient notes…

Here is what you’ll need to make this Creamy Garlic and Herb Sausage Orzo recipe. Please be sure to check the recipe card for the exact ingredients and measurements.

• Boursin cheese: a deliciously creamy type of cream cheese. My favorite is the garlic and fine herbs one, and that’s what I used for this recipe. You could always use another type, or even just a block of plain cream cheese if needed. I would add a little bit more garlic and herb seasoning or something if I did that.
• Uncooked Orzo: I love Orzo in this recipe because it cooks quickly and is delicious, but you could use rice, or any other type of pasta you prefer. Just be prepared you may need to cook it for longer, or add more liquid if you do.
• Sausage: I used precooked spinach and feta chicken sausage, but you could use any kind of sausage you like. I would just ensure I cut it up into smaller pieces so it cooks quicker.
• Spinach: I threw in some spinach to add more veggies, but you can always omit if you want. Frozen spinach would work fine as well, or you could even substitute for another kind of veggie.
• Chicken broth: Used to add flavor and soften the ingredients. I used chicken broth because I used chicken sausage in the recipe, but you could always use another kind if needed.
• Garlic Powder: To add flavoring. Use any kind of seasoning you prefer.
• Italian Seasoning: To add flavor. Use any kind of seasoning you prefer.
• Salt and pepper: To taste.
• Cheese: To add to the top.

Equipment I swear by…

• A long shaped baking dish. I used a 8.9 Inch by 13.2 Inch – 3 Qt Pyrex one

While the Creamy Garlic and Herb Sausage Orzo simmers…

• take a shower
• create a fun drink to go with it
• take some time to journal

How to make it…

1. Place the circle of Boursin cheese in the middle of the baking dish. Pour in the orzo around it. Add the sliced sausage, seasonings, spinach and chicken broth.
2. Cover with foil, place in oven and bake.
3. Remove from oven, mix well add salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for several minutes to thicken, add some cheese to the top if you want and then serve.

My tips and tricks to make this recipe…

Increase the veggies: You can always substitute veggies if you don’t like or have spinach on hand. Just make sure things are chopped into smaller pieces to help cook faster. Something like peas, mushrooms or tomatoes would be a great addition to this.

To make it saucier: You can always add heavy cream once it has come out of the oven if you want to make sort of a creamy sauce. I didn’t really feel it was necessary with this recipe, as it is already fairly rich, and orzo tends to soak up any liquid while sitting anyways.

To make it vegetarian: Simply omit the chicken sausage, or use a meat replacement sausage instead and veggie broth.

Storage notes:

Refrigerate: This dish tastes even better the next day. The orzo will soak up any remaining liquid, so if you find it too dry feel free to add some broth to loosen things up. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.

Freeze: I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but I find that pasta doesn’t freeze and reheat very well, because it changes the consistency of the dish, so I wouldn’t recommend it personally. If you do decide to try it, let me know how it went in the comments below.

Thank your for stopping by Comfort In a Bowl. If you create this recipe or any other from our site, we would greatly appreciate you taking the time to share, comment and rate the recipe! Take care of yourself.

For more easy orzo dishes check out:

• Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Orzo

My burnout situation…

I am still struggling when it comes to hearing about work. My coworkers, bless their hearts, are wonderful people and it’s amazing to me how many of them are still there trying to hold things together. In the department that I was working in, every single person that was in there when I started in there a few years ago either quit, retired early, got a different job, or also went on a medical leave.

Since going on a leave myself I have met up with a few of my coworkers several times just to kind of catch up and touch base. And we have a group chat with some of my best friends from work that are in other departments that I’ve known for over a decade. I try not to look at that too often. But anytime I hear of a big change or something happening I can feel that panic rising up in my chest and threatening to take over.

It hasn’t been enough to cause another panic attack yet, but I can feel it right there and I struggle to calm myself down.

I’m hoping that I can get to a place where I won’t find news of what is happening at work so triggering… because it is not good for me at all.

Conclusion…

Try out this recipe and let me know what you think in the comments.

I agree with my husband I think it is one of my current favorites right now.

Take care of yourself.

-Caitlin