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Lemon Chicken Meatballs and Orzo with Garlic Kale and Feta Cheese

Lemon Chicken Meatballs and Orzo

This Lemon Chicken Meatballs and Orzo dish is a spin on chicken francese and pasta. I am using my recipe for chicken francese meatballs and combining it with creamy and comforting orzo, some sauteed kale, and topping it with a little salty feta cheese.
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1 lb Ground Chicken
  • 1 egg
  • Lemon Zest from one lemon
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper

Sauce

  • 2 tsp Butter salted
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic finely diced
  • 1/2 cup White Wine
  • 1 Lemon Juiced
  • 3.5 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken Broth Flavor OR a little bit of chicken bouillon for extra flavor
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 16 oz Orzo
  • 1/2 cup Feta Cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. Form into roughly 30 mini 1" meatballs.
  • In a large fry pan, add about 2 tbsp of oil and cook all of the meatballs on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, browning all sides. Meatballs do not need to be fully cooked because they will finish cooking in the sauce. Set meatballs aside on a plate.
  • Wipe out the pan, and begin to make your sauce.
  • Add butter and garlic to the pan on medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes until starting to brown. Then, add the white wine and let it come to a boil. Then, add orzo and mix around for 1 minute.
  • Add chicken broth, better than bouillon, butter, and juice of 1 lemon. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and add back all of the meatballs. No need to mix it yet. Lower the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes.
  • Once orzo and chicken meatballs are fully cooked, turn off the heat. Stir in the cheese, milk, and a little black pepper according to your preference. If orzo is drier than you want, add a tiny bit of broth/water to loosen up the consistency.

Notes

For the sautéed kale, I add 1 tbsp of olive oil for every three large handfuls of kale. Add 1/2 tsp of garlic powder(or 2-3 cloves of minced garlic), and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it around in a saute pan until the kale starts to wilt. Add a little lemon juice and add it to the orzo dish or eat on the side. Make sure it tastes the way you want it to before adding it to the orzo.