One Pot Chicken, Leek and Orzo Bake

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A tasty one pot bake made with chicken drumsticks cooked on orzo mixed with leek and kumara coated in a creamy mustard sauce.

Baked chicken drumsticks on top of creamy rice with vegetables in a white casserole dish, served with a blue spoon.

The definition of comfort food! This One Pot Chicken, Leek and Orzo Bake is a lovely, wintery weeknight meal for the whole family, with only a handful of ingredients needed. Chicken drumsticks are always super affordable, plus they are a kid-favourite. If you need to make any substitutions, check out the FAQs and recipe notes below. For another winning chicken and pasta combo, have a look at my Herby Chicken Pasta Salad.

Ingredient notes:

Raw chicken drumsticks, sweet potato, heavy cream, garlic cloves, baby spinach, orzo pasta, leek, Dijon mustard, and chicken broth arranged on a white countertop.

Chicken: This is the perfect recipe to use chicken drumsticks in. They are super affordable and they cook well in a bake like this. You can also use bone in thighs if you like. I wouldn't recommend chicken breasts as they would dry out.
Leek: If leek isn't in season, you can replace it with two white small onions.
Orzo: Orzo, or risoni, is a small cut pasta that cooks really well in a creamy oven bake like this. Although it looks like rice, it's definitely pasta!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

Step by step instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake. Dice the kumara, halve and slice the leeks, then combine in a baking or casserole dish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. In a small jug, stir together the stock, cream, garlic, mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Chopped sweet potatoes and leeks in a white pot, ready to be cooked.

Measuring cup with creamy sauce and spoon, metal cup of dry orzo, a cup of broth, and raw chicken on a plate, all on a light counter.

Remove the dish from the oven, stir, then sprinkle over the orzo. Pour the liquid mixture over the top, then nestle the drumsticks into the dish. Season the chicken, then cover with a lid or tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.

A white pan filled with uncooked brown rice, chopped sweet potatoes, and sliced leeks sitting on a kitchen counter.

Raw chicken drumsticks arranged in a white dish with chopped sweet potatoes and leeks, seasoned and ready to be cooked in a creamy liquid.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is golden and the orzo is cooked.

A white pot filled with a baked dish containing chunks of sweet potatoes, leeks, and a creamy yellow sauce on a white countertop.

Chicken drumsticks cooked with spinach, chopped vegetables, and a creamy sauce in a white, round dish on a white surface.

Set the cooked drumsticks aside on a plate, and stir the baby spinach through the orzo. Place the chicken back into the dish, then serve and enjoy.

Baked chicken drumsticks on a bed of creamy rice with vegetables in a white baking dish.

Recipe FAQs:

Could this dish be used for meal prep?

This dish is delicious reheated for meal prep throughout the week! See my storage notes below.

Is this recipe gluten free?

It's not. As mentioned above, orzo is a small cut pasta which means it is made from wheat flour. To make it gluten free you can use GF orzo (if you can find it), or any other small cut GF pasta like shells or macaroni. Alternatively you could use arborio rice. However you would need to increase the stock by ½ - 1 cup, the cook time to 20-25 minutes and also stir it regularly.

What can I use in place of fresh baby spinach?

Frozen spinach or peas work well for a pop of greenery.

Storage:

I find it best to shred any leftover chicken from the bone, and combine with the orzo to then keep refrigerated for lunch or dinner the next day.

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One Pot Chicken, Leek and Orzo Bake

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

A tasty one pot bake made with chicken drumsticks cooked on orzo mixed with leek and kumara coated on a a creamy mustard sauce.

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Ingredients

1 orange kumara, peeled
1 leek, trimmed and washed
2 tsp olive oil
500ml chicken stock
250ml cream
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup orzo pasta
8 chicken drumsticks
70g baby spinach

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake. Dice the kumara, halve and slice the leeks, then combine in a baking or casserole dish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
In a small jug, stir together the stock, cream, garlic, mustard and season with salt and pepper.
Remove the dish from the oven, stir, then sprinkle over the orzo. Pour the liquid mixture over the top, then nestle the drumsticks into the dish.
Season the chicken, then cover with a lid or tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is golden and the orzo is cooked.
Set the cooked drumsticks aside on a plate, and stir the baby spinach through the orzo. Place the chicken back into the dish, then serve and enjoy.

Notes

I find it best to shred any leftover chicken from the bone, and combine with the orzo to then keep refrigerated for lunch or dinner the next day.
If leek isn't in season, replace with two white onions.
This dish is delicious reheated for meal prep throughout the week!
If you don’t have baby spinach, frozen spinach or peas work well for a pop of greenery.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 582Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 243mgSodium: 376mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 52g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya