This easy one skillet meal features orzo pasta and smoked sausage in a creamy, spicy tomato based sauce. Ready in about 20 minutes, this is the perfect meal for busy week nights.
There’s nothing better than a quick, easy, one-dish meal that the whole family devours, which makes this Cajun Orzo Sausage Skillet a practically perfect dinner solution for any night of the week.
I know I’ve mentioned before how much my family loves orzo. It is without a doubt our favorite pasta, and possibly one of our favorite ingredients in general.
So I was pretty confident this dish would be a hit with my family, and it was! And since it comes together in about 20 minutes and only leaves me with one pan to wash, it was an even bigger hit with me.
The addition of some cream cheese to this recipe adds a rich, smooth flavor and texture that really makes this dish shine. Feel free to use low-fat or fat free cream cheese if you’d like a slightly less fattening result.
A bit of sour cream or heavy cream would also work well as a substitute. And feel free to adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning to suit your tastes.
I always try to keep some orzo and canned tomatoes in the pantry, and a smoked sausage in my freezer, because this is exactly the kind of meal I want to make when time is tight and I’m feeling uninspired.
Sometimes I have bell peppers on hand, sometimes I don’t. It doesn’t matter too much. This is the kind of recipe that you can easily adapt, so feel free to throw in whatever veggies are hanging out in your refrigerator.
Don’t have any sausage available? How about some shredded leftover chicken, or some shrimp. Or just add more veggies and make this into a vegetarian meal.
Whatever you decide to do, one thing is for sure–everyone is going to clean their plate and come back for seconds. Although this does make for amazing leftovers, if you’re lucky enough to have any.
Quick, delicious, versatile, and with minimal clean-up required, this Cajun Orzo Sausage Skillet is a recipe everyone should have in their repertoire!
Be sure to save this Cajun Orzo Sausage Skillet recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Cajun Orzo Sausage Skillet
- Olive oil
- Produce: onions, garlic, red bell peppers, parsley
- Spices: Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes
- Smoked sausage
- Canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Orzo
- Chicken broth
- Cream cheese
Cajun Orzo Sausage Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 12 oz. smoked or andouille sausage, sliced
- 8 ounces orzo pasta
- 1 14 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened and cubed
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook until just tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
- Add the sliced sausage to the skillet and cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the orzo to the skillet and cook until toasted and golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in cream cheese and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Before serving, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Delish
1 comment
Lisa
Love the flavor of this recipe but I would suggest putting a lid on it as it cooks with the orzo. I cooked it for 15 (says around 10) and the orzo wasn’t even Al dente, it was crunchy. I would imagine without a lid it would need 20-25 minutes to cook the Orzo, but your sauce would evaporate during that long of a time.