One Dish Baked Orzo with Spinach, Ham and Feta Cheese

This orzo is creamy, hearty and delicious - a great one dish meal!

Serves: 8
Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Smithfield Ham, cooked and chopped (any ham will work except Smithfield Country Ham, which is too salty)
• 1 14.5 oz can of chicken stock
• 1 pound orzo pasta
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely dry (it's important to squeeze out all juices)
• 1/3 cup grated Romano Cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the chicken stock into a large pot. Add enough water to the stock to almost fill pot. Sprinkle with salt and bring to boil. Stir in orzo and boil until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return to pot. Mix in cream, oil, feta and dill. Season with salt and pepper. In a large prepared baking dish, layer 1/2 of the orzo mixture. Top with the ham and then spinach. Layer the remaining orzo mixture over the spinach and top with the Romano cheese. Bake uncovered until heated through, about 40 minutes.

This dish can be prepared a day ahead - just cover and refrigerate.  When you're ready to cook it, bring it to room temperature before you bake it.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a Greek salad on the side for a simple and hearty meal.

This recipe was specially prepared and created by Paula Deen for Smithfield. Recipe and photo courtesy of Smithfield.

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Comments (2) Post Your Comment

Emiliesmom
This is one of the best baked dishes I have ever made. My family couldn't get enough. I really loved it even before it was put in the oven to bake. Thanks Paula for another great recipe. That's why we love you.

jcrigler
This is one of my favorite dishes. I hate eating leftovers, but I ate this the next day...and I ate the serving that I put in the freezer. Delicious! I used half and half instead of cream to cut down on the fat some, and it still turned out delicious.

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