Chicken and Orzo Frittata

This was my first experience making a frittata and I now know that I have been missing out! This particular recipe is another of Giada’s. Apparently, I subconsciously want to be her….or I just really like her food. Either way, this cooking experience was great, and I think I will be making another frittata very soon.

Frittatas are extremely versatile dishes. There are TONS of recipes out there combining different flavor combinations. This recipe called for chicken and orzo and a couple veggies. Since I’m not such a huge vegetable fan, this recipe was good for me because it didn’t go overboard on the veggies. However, for those of you who love and crave your veggies, this recipe can be easily adapted to your tastes. 

Chicken and Orzo Frittata

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

 ¾ cup orzo pasta

6 eggs

1/3 cup whole milk ricotta

¼ cup crème fraiche*

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

4 scallions, chopped

¼ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup diced roasted red bell peppers

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*If you cannot find crème fraiche in the grocery store, you can use sour cream as a substitute.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add orzo to cook (about 8 – 10 minutes).

Next I disassembled my chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken, and only needed the breast meat) and chopped my veggies. Although the recipe called for 4 scallions, I ended up only using about 2 ½ because I didn’t want to have an extremely obvious onion taste to my frittata. I also, used a bit more red bell pepper than called for, because that is actually a veggie I like!

In a large bowl combine eggs, ricotta and crème fraiche (or sour cream). Stir until all the eggs are broken down and the mixture is creamy in texture. Add in the cooked orzo, cubed or shredded chicken, scallions, red pepper, salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients together until they are combined. 

Pour the frittata mixture into a baking dish. At the last minute I decided to sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top of the mixture, to add a cheesy layer (yum). Bake the frittata for 25 minutes then let it broil for about 5 minutes to get a nice golden top. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

The frittata turned out great! I think next time I will play around with the flavor combos. I'm thinking maybe a little italian sausage and garlic, or spinach and feta. The options are endless! The best part about making frittatas is that you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. YUM! 

Danielle