One Pan Chicken Sausage and Orzo Bake
This one-pan chicken sausage and orzo bake is creamy comfort food perfection! Chicken sausage, gluten-free orzo, butternut squash, and goat cheese for the ultimate fall dish.
Table of contents
I’m always looking for ways to cut down on dishes and prep time for dinner. With chicken sausage being one of my favorite protein hacks (like in this apple chicken sausage & veggie skillet), I knew I wanted to make a chicken sausage pasta bake, but with a twist! After seeing similar recipes to this floating around online with tomato, feta, and spinach, I decided to make a fall version with butternut squash!
This one-pan chicken sausage and orzo bake is the perfect comfort food dish! With creamy goat cheese, butternut squash, and gluten-free orzo, this recipe is going to be a new fall favorite.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One pan pasta reimagined. One-pot pasta dishes are typically made with a tomato sauce (kind of like my gluten-free Hamburger Helper), but this is a totally different take on it! It’s almost like a risotto-style dish paired with the simplicity of a pasta bake.
- Protein, veggies, and pasta all in one place. With this recipe, you’ll get protein-packed chicken sausage plus butternut squash, all in one dish, without having to cook them in separate pans.
- Goat cheese is lower in lactose. Goat cheese is not lactose-free, but goat cheese is lower in lactose than regular cheese. It will always depend on the person, but as someone who is on the moderate side of lactose intolerance, I find myself able to tolerate goat cheese in moderation with a lactose enzyme like Hilma. I also still included a dairy-free option for this recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Chicken sausage. I suggest using an Italian-style chicken sausage like this basil chicken sausage from costco, or the garlic chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s. As long as you use something savory and not too sweet, it should turn out well!
- Gluten free orzo. I use orzo from Jovial!
- Goat cheese. I’ve tested this recipe with both plain goat cheese and garlic and herb, and both are delicious.
Substiutions & Modifications
- Dairy-free cream cheese. You can try to modify this recipe to be dairy-free by using something like a dairy-free cream cheese!
How to make this one-pan chicken sausage and orzo bake
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Add the butternut squash to the casserole dish and toss with avocado oil and half of the herbs. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, just enough to make the squash lightly fork tender.
Step two. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and add the sausage, shallot, orzo, remainder or the herbs, and pour in the broth, making sure the orzo is covered by the broth. Add the goat cheese to the center of the dish and cover.
Step three. Bake for 30-35 minutes, carefully giving a gently stir to the the orzo halfway through. The pasta is cooked through and the liquid reduced. Remove the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Step four. Stir in the goat cheese into the pasta bake to create a creamy sauce. Enjoy!
Michelle’s Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to cover the pan! This ensures that the pasta steams to cook properly and does not burn.
- Stir the pasta while it cooks. Carefully give the orzo a gentle stir about halfway through, just to prevent sticking!
- Don’t skip precooking the butternut squash. Squash will take longer to cook, especially if you’re using fresh squash! If you use a frozen and defrosted butternut squash, you may be able to get away with less cook time.
Recipe FAQS
“Sausage” just refers to ground meat and seasoning. You can buy ground sausage or sausage in a casing. However, sausage is typically thought of as pork-based, whereas this recipe uses chicken sausage in a casing.
Most store-bought chicken sausages are fully cooked. Always double-check what you’re buying! The chicken sausages that I’ve linked in this blog post are fully cooked.
No, orzo is not gluten-free, but you can buy gluten-free orzo! I use the brand jovail for gluten-free orzo.
Other One-Pan Dinners to Try…
- One Pan Southern Fried Cabbage and Sausage
- One Pan Salmon Orzo
- One Pan Balsamic Peach Chicken Thighs
If you tried these One Pan Chicken Sausage and Orzo or any other recipe on my blog please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
One Pan Chicken Sausage and Orzo Bake
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Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash, chopped into small cubes
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt & pepper
- 12 oz fully cooked chicken sausage, see notes for suggested brands
- 1 shallot, sliced thin
- 10 oz gluten free orzo
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 4 oz goat cheese
- Fresh thyme, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and lightly grease a 9×13″ casserole dish.
- Add the butternut squash to the casserole dish and toss with avocado oil and half of the herbs. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, just enough to make the squash lightly fork tender.
- Remove the casserole dish from the oven and carefully add the sausage, shallot, orzo, remainder or the herbs, and pour in the broth, making sure the orzo is covered by the broth. Add the goat cheese to the center of the dish and cover.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, carefully giving a gently stir to the the orzo halfway through. The pasta is cooked through and the liquid reduced.
- Remove the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before stirring the goat cheese into the pasta bake to create a creamy sauce.
- Serve topped with additional fresh thyme!
I love this recipe! I’ma huge fan of goat cheese so this really hit the spot. It’s an absolute comfort food meal, and one pan meal to make it all the better. Definitely making again!