easy dinner meals

This one-pan creamy spinach lemon orzo comes together in just 20 minutes! With fresh spinach, lemon zest, and basil in a creamy sauce, it can be a light, weeknight dinner on it&#39;s own or a super easy side dish!

Creamy Spinach Lemon Orzo

unsalted butter

shallot (finely chopped)

garlic (finely chopped)

orzo

white cooking wine (optional)

vegetable stock

thyme

heavy cream

spinach

parmesan cheese

lemon juice

lemon zest

basil (sliced)

salt and pepper (to taste)

In a large skillet or cast iron, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the shallot and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and aromatic.

Then add in the dry orzo and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Then add in the white wine to de-glaze the pan and make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the fresh thyme and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Then cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the orzo is fully cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Then stir in the heavy cream, parmesan, spinach, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Garnish with more lemon zest and an extra sprinkle of parmesan!

These juicy cast iron chicken breasts topped with garlic herb butter are one of my favorite ways to make chicken in just 30 minutes!

Cast Iron Chicken Breasts with Garlic Herb Butter

chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)

olive oil (substitute vegetable oil)

salt

black pepper

garlic powder

smoked paprika

cumin (optional)

cayenne pepper (optional)

unsalted butter (softened)

garlic (minced

thyme (substitute whatever herbs you prefer)

In a bowl, mix together the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper until fully combined. Set aside. You can store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!

Garlic Herb Butter

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season liberally on both sides with the spice mixture.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add in just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan (about 1 tablespoon).

Sear the chicken breasts on one side for 5 minutes. Then flip and immediately transfer the cast iron pan to the preheated oven. Bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. [Smaller, thinner breasts will only have to bake for 5-10 minutes, but thicker breasts will need 15-20 minutes.]

Use an instant thermometer to check when the chicken is done so that it doesn&#39;t get overcooked! Chicken breasts should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, but I like to pull them out around 160-162°F because they&#39;ll continue cooking as they rest.

Remove the chicken from the oven and top each breast about a tablespoon of garlic herb butter.

Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken

Perfect for many occasions! Just made and mixed in with my Caesar salad and loved it.

Super easy and extremely flavourful!!!! Will definitely make again! Thank you for sharing!

This chicken is AMAZING!! This is the first time that I’ve ever commented on a recipe online but I have to tell everyone how delicious this recipe is! And it’s pretty easy to throw together. I use two large Costco organic chicken breasts, less salt in the spice mix than stated in the recipe (1st time I made it we all thought it was too salty) and almost double the spices, fresh rosemary and thyme in the butter, cooked as recipe states for 15 mins in oven and it comes out perfect and juicy! I cut slits in the chicken before adding the herb  butter so it soaks in the chicken. We serve with instant pot risotto that I cook at the same time as sautéing the chicken, and green beans, and it’s all delicious together! Thank you for this recipe!!

This was fabulous!  I always over cook chicken and I followed this recipe and I made a perfectly cooked chicken for once!  Everyone loved it and next time I should double the recipe as everyone had seconds!  Thank you for sharing this dish!!

Some of the best chicken breast I’ve ever eaten. No joke. This recipe is incredible

So delicious!! This is the first chicken breast recipe I found to use in my newly refreshed cast iron skillet.  My family loved it, said it was the best chicken I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly except I accidentally browned both sides before putting in the oven.  Since I had butterflied the chicken I only left it in the oven for 2-3 minutes once I realized my mistake.  It was still cooked perfectly.   Thank you for sharing this!

Outstanding! Simple to make, will add this to my rotation. Whole family loved it. Thank you!

I have been making dry, sad chicken for years. My chicken comes out cooked perfect with this recipe, thank you so much for this!

I just bought a cast iron skillet and I’m trying out new recipes. This was delish! I ran out of paprika, but even without, the chicken was still a hit.

Cooked this and my husband said it was the best chicken he has EVER had.. even from restaurants!

I would suggest doubling the rub recipe. Other than that, it's delightful, visually appealing, and absolutely delicious. 

One tip that helps me with every chicken breast dish, pound the chicken breast flat. That way it cooks reasonably evenly no matter the cut. You can just hit it with your palm until it's all the same height.

The flavor!!!!!! Oh my goodness! I didn’t change a thing and this turned out so delicious! Easy to make too! Thank you so much!!

I made this recipe exactly as written. It is absolutely on point for the most delicious moist chicken breast. Exploding with flavor, the seared crust is perfect. This one definitely has a permanent spot on my dinner rotation list.

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Top 2 easy dinner meals recipes from across the web

The most viewed easy dinner meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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The most viewed easy dinner meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine