Broccoli Cheddar Orzo – A quick and easy meal made with just a few simple ingredients! Orzo, broccoli, and a delicious cheddar cheese sauce. Perfect for lunch or an easy weeknight dinner!

Broccoli Cheddar Orzo

Orzo is one of my favorite things to make for lunch! I love how quick and easy it is to make.  Usually, I just pop some mozzarella, parmesan, and butter but I decided I wanted to add some greens this time and make an orzo recipe inspired by broccoli cheddar soup! Start to finish, this orzo recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make which might just be my favorite part!

Tips and tricks on this broccoli cheddar orzo recipe

Top with extra parmesan and cheddar if you want an even more cheese-y meal! You really can’t go wrong with adding extra cheese to anything.

Is orzo pasta? Yes, it is.  Although it may look like rice, it is pasta.

What else is orzo good for? It is a great addition to soups or casseroles.

This is a great way to use up leftover broccoli from dinner the night before.  I had heated up a bag of frozen broccoli as a side and just used the leftovers the next day in this recipe.  If you are using fresh broccoli, let me know how it turned out in the comments, I haven’t tried it that way yet!

More pasta recipes to try for dinner tonight

Creamy Garlic Pasta – A creamy roasted garlic sauce over penne pasta! Perfect with chicken and parmesan on top!

Caprese Pasta – Spaghetti noodles, blistered tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil.  An easy and refreshing dinner recipe!

Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese – A quick and easy copycat recipe that tastes just like Panera’s mac and cheese! Pasta covered in a creamy white cheddar cheese sauce!

Yield: 4 servings

Broccoli Cheddar Orzo

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Broccoli Cheddar Orzo - A quick and easy meal made with just a few simple ingredients! Orzo, broccoli, and a delicious cheddar cheese sauce. Perfect for lunch or an easy weeknight dinner!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, pour orzo in and cook 3 minutes.
2. Add broccoli in to the orzo and continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until pasta is tender.
3. Drain pasta and broccoli before adding in butter, milk, cheddar, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Stir until well combined.

Looking for more easy pasta recipes?

Make sure to check out these recipes from other bloggers:

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Pesto Shrimp Pasta from Life Currents

Blackened Shrimp Pasta from Seduction in the Kitchen

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