One Pot Creamy Ham Mushroom Orzo - a delicious creamy orzo dish, with tender pieces of ham and flavoursome mushrooms, for an easy meal that is ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
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One Pot Creamy Orzo Recipes
Ever have those times of the year where you decide to totally reorganize and tidy your entire kitchen, including pantry and store cupboards?
Yep here too!! Strangely I always get the urge at the same time every year which is around March time, what on earth is that all about.
Anyway organizing all my dried pulses, lentils and pasta, I had some orzo leftover that wouldn't fit in the jar, so placed it on my countertop to remind me to make a yummy dish for dinner this week using it up.
Raiding the fridge for inspiration I grabbed some thick cut ham, mushrooms and really fancied a creamy sauce and low-fat cream cheese is always on my radar to use for a quick easy creamy sauce.
Ingredients for One Pot Creamy Ham and Mushroom Orzo
For this easy one pot recipes, grab the following ingredients:
- ham (thick cut)
- onion
- garlic
- cremini (or baby bella or chestnut) mushrooms
- dried thyme
- fresh parsley
- orzo
- chicken or vegetable stock
- low fat cream cheese
- sea salt and black pepper
- cooking oil spray (I used olive oil)
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Once all the ingredients are prepared, you can get ready to begin this delicious one pot recipe.
Recipe Card
One Pot Creamy Ham Mushroom Orzo
One Pot Creamy Ham Mushroom Orzo - a delicious creamy orzo dish, with tender pieces of ham and flavoursome mushrooms, for an easy meal that is ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 300g of ham (thick cut), diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 200g of cremini (or baby bella or chestnut) mushrooms, sliced
- pinch of dried thyme
- 1 tbs of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 cup (175g) of dried orzo
- 2.5 cups (600ml) of chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 tbs of low fat cream cheese
- sea salt and black pepper
- cooking oil spray (I used olive oil)
Instructions
- Spray a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat with some cooking oil spray.
- Add the ham and fry for a couple of minutes until lightly golden, remove and set aside.
- Add the onion and a little more cooking oil spray and fry for a couple of minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and a little drop of the stock to deglaze the pan and continue to fry for a couple of minutes to just to give the mushrooms a little colour. Stir in the thyme and parsley.
- Add back in the ham, orzo and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat a little (liquid should still be bubbling) and continue to bubble until the stock reduces down into a loose sauce and the orzo is cooked. (approx 10 minutes, if it is taking longer your heat is too low)
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted and the sauce is all creamy.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve and enjoy
- Optional: Serve with a little grated parmesan.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
If you wish to share this recipe, then please do so by using the share buttons provided at top of this post.
DO NOT COPY AND/OR PASTE FULL RECIPES OR SCREENSHOTS OF ANY CONTENT FROM SLIMMING EATS TO ANY SOCIAL MEDIA OR WEBSITE, IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
ALL IMAGES AND CONTENT ON SLIMMING EATS ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
Nutritional information etc are an estimate and are to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary in values from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate values yourself by the ingredients you use and the tools provided to you as a member of the programme you are following.
It is the responsibility of the Reader to assure the products or ingredients they use in any recipes from Slimming Eats are allergen-free (gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free and/or dairy-free, for example). Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatement about products, opinions or comments on this site.
Check Legal section, for Full Disclaimer, Disclosure and Privacy Policy.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 servingAmount Per Serving Calories 340Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 105mgSodium 597mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 3gSugar 8gProtein 24g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
What is Orzo?
Some of you may be wondering, what exactly is orzo?
It's a type of pasta similar in shape to a grain of rice which is also, known as risoni or Italian barley. It's a great ingredient to use in pasta dishes, soups or can even be enjoyed the same way as rice, except it is not gluten-free because like pasta it is made from white flour.
There are some newer products however that I have seen in Costco and Trader Joes where the orzo is made from chickpea flour or a combination of chickpeas and red lentils for a gluten-free alternative. Those varieties tend to be named risoni rather than orzo.
Substitutes for Mushrooms in One Pot Orzo?
Like the look of this dish but hate mushrooms? Then this dish is totally versatile and works with many different vegetables.
Some great swaps are:
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Zucchini (Courgette)
- Broccoli
- or Peas (although the latter is more a legume than a vegetable, so be sure to include some healthy vegetables as your 5 a day)
or feel free to offer other suggestions in the comments below.
Substitutes for Ham
I use a thick-sliced ham in the one-pot creamy orzo dish. But regular bacon will work perfectly too or even some pork, prawns or chicken.
You can even keep it vegetarian-friendly and use a meat substitute or just keep at to purely vegetables if you prefer.
Ideas for Sides
I enjoyed this dish just as it is, straight from the pan. A perfect filling and decadent meal, but if you want to make it a bit more substantial or include some more healthy vegetables, some great side ideas to serve are:
- Grilled Zucchini (Courgette) or Asparagus
- Roasted Broccoli
- Sauteed Shredded Garlic Brussel Sprouts
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- A mixed salad (greens, cucumber, tomatoes etc)
- Roasted Green Beans
More Orzo Recipes
Love orzo? Check out some of these other recipes:
or if you would like more recipe ideas or sides to make with this recipe - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more..
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
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Recipe Card
One Pot Creamy Ham Mushroom Orzo
One Pot Creamy Ham Mushroom Orzo - a delicious creamy orzo dish, with tender pieces of ham and flavoursome mushrooms, for an easy meal that is ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 300g of ham (thick cut), diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 200g of cremini (or baby bella or chestnut) mushrooms, sliced
- pinch of dried thyme
- 1 tbs of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 cup (175g) of dried orzo
- 2.5 cups (600ml) of chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 tbs of low fat cream cheese
- sea salt and black pepper
- cooking oil spray (I used olive oil)
Instructions
- Spray a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat with some cooking oil spray.
- Add the ham and fry for a couple of minutes until lightly golden, remove and set aside.
- Add the onion and a little more cooking oil spray and fry for a couple of minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and a little drop of the stock to deglaze the pan and continue to fry for a couple of minutes to just to give the mushrooms a little colour. Stir in the thyme and parsley.
- Add back in the ham, orzo and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat a little (liquid should still be bubbling) and continue to bubble until the stock reduces down into a loose sauce and the orzo is cooked. (approx 10 minutes, if it is taking longer your heat is too low)
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted and the sauce is all creamy.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve and enjoy
- Optional: Serve with a little grated parmesan.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
If you wish to share this recipe, then please do so by using the share buttons provided at top of this post.
DO NOT COPY AND/OR PASTE FULL RECIPES OR SCREENSHOTS OF ANY CONTENT FROM SLIMMING EATS TO ANY SOCIAL MEDIA OR WEBSITE, IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
ALL IMAGES AND CONTENT ON SLIMMING EATS ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
Nutritional information etc are an estimate and are to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary in values from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate values yourself by the ingredients you use and the tools provided to you as a member of the programme you are following.
It is the responsibility of the Reader to assure the products or ingredients they use in any recipes from Slimming Eats are allergen-free (gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free and/or dairy-free, for example). Slimming Eats assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatement about products, opinions or comments on this site.
Check Legal section, for Full Disclaimer, Disclosure and Privacy Policy.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Santoku Knife-MAD SHARK Pro Kitchen Knife 7 Inch Santoku Knife,Best Quality German High Carbon Stainless Steel Knife with Ergonomic Handle,Ultra Sharp,Best Choice for Home Kitchen and Restaurant
-
ProCook Professional Anodised Non-Stick Saute Pan with Lid | 28cm | 4.2L | Induction Pan with Toughened Glass Lid and Contoured Heat-Resistant Cooltouch Handles
-
TOMORAL Measuring Cups and Spoons
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 servingAmount Per Serving Calories 340Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 105mgSodium 597mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 3gSugar 8gProtein 24g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
Margarita says
Lovely dish,as usual. Can it be frozen?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
It’s best eaten as cooked as orzo can tend to go a bit stodgy when reheated
Margaret says
Loved this dish. It was so easy and came out perfect the first time I made it. It sure is a keeper.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
thanks Margaret, glad you liked it. 🙂
Lynn says
I love this. Third time I've made it and it's still amazing. Thank you so much.
Gail says
I love onions but the acid from onions makes me unwell. Onion are the basic of a lot of dishes. can you suggest alternatives, not just for this dish.
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
just omit if you can't digest them well, or use onion powder if you can tolerate that.
Melanie Wilson says
Made this tonight for dinner and as crazy as it sounds as it's one of the main ingredients, I left the mushrooms out. It was absolutely gorgeous and will definitely be making it again
Jo Bennett says
Hi when you say ham - do you mean uncooked gammon?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
I use cooked diced ham for this recipe.
Caroline says
Lovely dish, swapped mushrooms for spinach and used garlic and herb LF cream cheese for extra flavour enjoyed by the whole family will defiantly make again thanks
Becca says
I made this exactly as written but also added some fresh chopped spinach. I used veggie broth. It turned out delicious- I will definitely make this again.
Lorraine says
Loved this recipe, it was so easy to make!
I didn’t have ham so used chorizo which made it a bit spicy… yum!😋
Also realised I didn’t have any cream cheese so used some danish feta, it came out a treat! Served with some steamed broccoli and snow peas… it was a hit! Thank you x