French Onion Orzo Bake: The Coziest Weeknight Dinner
This French onion orzo bake is a creamy, cheesy one-dish dinner with the deep, savory flavor of French onion soup. Uncooked orzo, broth, onion soup, sour cream and seasonings are stirred together right in the baking dish. The oven does the rest, and a golden, bubbly layer of Swiss or mozzarella goes on top at the end. There's no boiling water and barely any cleanup.
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
- Large spoon or spatula
- Grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Aluminum foil (optional)
Ingredients
Orzo and Liquid
- 2 cups orzo uncooked
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth low-sodium recommended
Creamy Base
- 1 can condensed French onion soup
- 8 oz sour cream full-fat recommended
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Cheese
- 3 cups Swiss or mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
For Serving
- grated Parmesan optional, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, combine the orzo, vegetable broth, condensed soup, sour cream, soup mix, thyme, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.
- Stir until the soup mix dissolves and all the orzo is submerged, scraping the corners. The mixture will look soupy.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese evenly over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Serve right away, topped with grated Parmesan if you like.
Notes
Use a 9x13-inch dish so the orzo cooks evenly. If the orzo is still crunchy, stir in a splash of warm broth, cover with foil and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. The soup and soup mix are salty, so don't add extra salt.
To add chicken, stir bite-size pieces of chicken thigh into the mixture before baking and cook until they reach 165°F.
Leftovers keep up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. Reheat with a splash of broth until the center reaches 165°F.