One-pan meal combining apple chicken sausage, orzo, and fresh vegetables for an easy balanced dinner.
# What You Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 4 apple chicken sausages, sliced into ½-inch rounds
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
06 - 1 sweet apple (such as Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
→ Grains & Staples
07 - 1½ cups orzo pasta
08 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
→ Dairy
09 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Seasonings & Oils
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - Salt, to taste
13 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make:
01 - Warm olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat.
02 - Add sliced apple chicken sausages and cook 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, sauté diced onion and red bell pepper for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and diced apple; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add orzo pasta and dried thyme, stirring to coat evenly for 1 minute.
06 - Pour chicken broth into the pan, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer.
07 - Lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender and liquid mostly absorbed.
08 - Remove cover, return sausage to pan, add spinach, and stir until spinach wilts and ingredients are heated through, about 2 minutes.
09 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
10 - Serve hot, optionally garnished with extra Parmesan or fresh herbs.
