Sage Chicken Meatballs with Spinach

Sage Chicken Meatballs with Spinach. Creamy, cheesy orzo with spinach topped with herby chicken meatballs and crispy sage leaves. It’s the perfectly cozy dinner for a rainy dreary Thursday night !! Cheers !!

Today has been one long rainy dreary day. But the good news is the weekend is here and we’re kicking it off with this super comfy, super cozy chicken meatball and orzo dish. And the other good news is today isn’t freezing cold like it has been for the past couple of weeks…THANK GOD.

Anyway this chicken dish is super different than anything we’ve made before. The meatballs are herby with the sage and the orzo is cheesy and creamy and makes the whole dish come together so well. There’s also the spinach and crispy sage leaves to finish it off. And finally some fresh cracked pepper.

I am also super excited for this weekend because as i’ve mentioned before I am going down the shore, so I’m excited for the change of scenery. And we've having a fun and cozy fire night tomorrow with pizza and fun apps and martinis and wine of course. First it was fall fest….now it’s winter fest. A beach weekend for every season !! Cheers to surviving another week of winter !!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Italian bread; cubed

• 1/2 cup milk

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 small shallot; chopped

• 2 garlic cloves; chopped

• salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup parmesan

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For the Orzo

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 10 - 12 sage leaves

• 1 small shallot; thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cups orzo

• 1 cup white wine

• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves

• 3 - 4 cups chicken stock

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 4 ounces fresh spinach

• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with olive oil. In a large mixing bowl, add the bread. Pour in the milk and let the bread soak for about 10 minutes.

2. In a medium skillet, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until softened. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

3. Add the ground chicken, parmesan, sage, parsley, egg, and shallot mixture to the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Form into medium sized meatballs. Place the meatballs onto the prepared sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden.

4. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until crispy and butter starts to brown. Remove the sage leaves and set aside.

5. Add the shallot and cook for a few minutes until softened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in the orzo. Pour in the white wine and thyme leaves. Bring to a low simmer and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Stir in two cups of chicken broth. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. If the orzo is still firm and the stock has dried up, add more stock as needed until completely cooked.

6. Add the heavy cream, spinach, and parmesan. Stir until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with chicken meatballs and crispy sage leaves.