Home » Holiday » Christmas » Savory Orzo Stuffing
Jump to Recipe
5 stars (4 reviews)
40 minutes mins
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
A fabulous holiday stuffing recipe made with orzo pasta instead of day old bread. Just the thing to give your stuffing recipe a little dose of intrigue this year.
It pains me to say this, but it has come to my immediate attention (after a very official survey on my Facebook page late one night) that approximately 20% of you don’t like Thanksgiving stuffing because of the texture.
As stuffing is my absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, my head is hanging in sadness.
In fact, to further explain my attachment to stuffing, let me just say my older sister tells stories about how I use to talk about stuffing in my sleep when I was a little girl. It is very special to me.
So today I’d like to reach out to those of you who don’t have the same appreciation for stuffing that I do, and offer a compromise…
Our Orzo Stuffing Recipe!
If wet-bread texture is troubling to you, this stuffing recipe is the solution.
Using DeLallo Pasta in the orzo stuffing recipe creates a lovely firm yet fluffy texture, instead of the moist dense stuffing that the other 80% of us love.
After experimenting with this, I have to tell you, this might be my new favorite stuffing recipe. The piece-y texture and light pasta flavor means the other ingredients really shine through. You get the savory-sweet pop from sautéed apples, celery, carrots and onions, along with rich salty bits of crisp bacon.
Plus the shape and size of my favorite orzo, DeLallo Orzo Number 65, is not only visually appealing, it makes it easy to scoop, serve, and stuff.
If you like to fill your bird with stuffing on Thanksgiving, you could most definitely use this orzo stuffing recipe in it! Wouldn’t your turkey look beautiful with this colorful orzo cascading out?
I think so.
Print Recipe
5 stars (4 reviews)
Leave a Review »
Orzo Stuffing Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
A fabulous holiday stuffing recipe made with orzo pasta instead of day-old bread.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
- 1 pound DeLallo Orzo Pasta
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 1/2 cups diced apple
- 12 ounces chopped bacon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Instructions
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook the orzo according to the DeLallo package instructions and drain, saving 1 cup of the pasta water for later use. (If you plan to use this stuffing in a bird, undercook the pasta a little bit.)
Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the skillet and brown until just cooked through. Then add the celery, onions and carrots to the skillet and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the apples, stir and saute another 2-3 minutes until soft, but firm.
Now mix in the cooked orzo and sage. Toss well and add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to help the flavors mingle. Toss and cook another 1-2 minutes, using more pasta water if needed. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 556kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 409mg, Potassium: 465mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 3695IU, Vitamin C: 5.2mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1.5mg
Course: Holiday, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!
This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.
Christmas Holiday Side Dishes Thanksgivingbacon carrots celery onions orzo Pasta sage
posted by Sommer Collier on Nov 22, 2013 (last updated Jun 17, 2019)
26 comments Leave a comment »
5 Secrets Every Chef Should Know
NEW! FREE EMAIL SERIES My fav tips to make you a better cook...right now!
« Previous PostHow to Make a Perfect Pie Crust
Next Post »Peppermint Cookie Bon-Bombs
Leave a Reply
26 comments on “Savory Orzo Stuffing”
Leave a comment »
-
Pingback: Food: 100+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes - Pink Heels Pink Truck
-
Shaina — Reply
I love the idea of doing all the stuffing flavors but without the soggy bread. I can’t wait to try this!
-
Nutmeg Nanny — Reply
Oh my, I love this stuffing recipe :) perfect twist on a classic
See AlsoElderberry Pie Recipe -
Russell at chasingdelicious.com — Reply
Yum and yum!
-
Megan {Country Cleaver} — Reply
I can just eat this with a spoon right ? I don’t want anything else getting in the way of me and that orzo but a fork!!
-
marla — Reply
Such a great twist on traditional stuffing!
-
Kevin @ Closet Cooking — Reply
Nice orzo stuffing!
-
Julie @ Table for Two — Reply
Seriously so creative!!! I LOVE that you used orzo for this stuffing!!
-
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen — Reply
This looks amazing. I love the bacon and sage together!
-
Laura (Tutti Dolci) — Reply
I love orzo, wonderful stuffing idea!
-
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles — Reply
What a fun way to mix it up for Thanksgiving!!
-
Cassie — Reply
What an amazing stuffing recipe!!
-
DeLallo Foods — Reply
This looks delicious, Sommer! Perfect for the holiday season! Thanks for featuring our orzo!
-
What a beautiful simple stuffing alternative Sommer – love the bright veggies!
-
Jay — Reply
Any ideas on a good substitute for the bacon? Other than that may fix it today….
-
Sommer — Reply
Jay in my mind, nothing compares to bacon. Are you looking for a meatless substitute or a pork-free substitute?
You could make it with chicken sausage, or even try turkey or soy bacon.
-
-
Heather Christo — Reply
I LOVE this idea in place of bread- beautiful dish sommer!
-
Stacy — Reply
O.M.G. My mouth is watering! You just added a new twist to our Thanksgiving. Wonderful!
-
Marian (Sweetopia) — Reply
Looks soo good! Wish this was my lunch today!
-
Jenny Flake — Reply
What a fun way to switch up stuffing! I want some!!
-
Maria — Reply
Love DeLallo’s orzo! Great way to switch up the traditional stuffing!
-
Shari — Reply
This looks delicious, and great presentation dish. The colors are gorgeous.!
xoxo ~Shari
http://www.pinkblotmom.com -
Tieghan — Reply
This looks good good, Sommer! I love the idea of using orzo instead of bread! My family is actually not real big on traditional stuffing so this is perfect!
-
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl — Reply
I love this version of stuffing!!! I could eat this any day of the year!
-
Pingback: The Party Blog: Where DIY Projects and Confetti collide | The Party DIY
