One Pot Cajun Sausage and Orzo – a flavor-packed skillet dinner with spicy cajun andouille sausage and tender orzo.
One Pot Cajun Sausage and Orzo
One-pot meals with orzo are some of my personal favorite dinners for busy weeknights! The orzo cooks up quickly and it’s so easy to customize. Add andouille sausage which is smoked, so it’s already cooked and just needs to be lightly browned for flavor, and you have a fast and flavorful dinner. I like to stir in fresh spinach or even kale at the end to make it a complete one-pot dinner that includes a veggie!
Ingredients for Cajun Sausage and Orzo
- Olive Oil – alternatively you can use the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes.
- Andouille Smoked Sausage – any style of smoked sausage will work.
- OnionÂ
- GarlicÂ
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – using low-sodium helps control the overall saltiness of the dish.
- Heavy Cream
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – jarred sun-dried tomatoes add an extra layer of flavor.
- Orzo
- Coarse Cajun Seasoning – in this recipe I use a coarse cajun spice blend like McCormick Cajun Seasoning. If you use a finer spice blend, start with one teaspoon and add more as needed.
- Parmesan – freshly shredded on a microplane melts into the orzo smoothly.
- Baby Spinach – or chopped kale.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper – to taste.
How to Make Cajun Sausage and Orzo
Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete ingredient list and instructions.
- Brown the sausage.
- Sauté the onions and garlic.
- Use chicken broth to deglaze the pan.
- Bring chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, uncooked orzo, sausage, and cajun seasoning to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat, cooking until orzo is tender.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and baby spinach.
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the Seasoning – add more or less cajun seasoning to taste. I think the two teaspoons is a good starting point. More can be added to make it spicier.
- Orzo – I find orzo to be really easy to work with. You can add more liquid as needed and the orzo will easily absorb the liquid.
- Sausage – my grocery store doesn’t always have smoked andouille sausage but any smoked sausage can be substituted. I like to use smoked turkey sausage.
More One-Pot Orzo Recipes
- ONE POT MARRY ME SHRIMP AND ORZO PASTA
- One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Orzo
- One Pan Lemon Chicken and Orzo
- Skillet Chicken with Broccoli Cheddar Orzo
One Pot Cajun Sausage and Orzo
Servings: 4
Calories: 773kcal
Equipment
- 3.5 quart covered skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 13 oz andouille smoked sausage sliced
- 1/3 cup onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 1/4 cups orzo
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 1 cup parmesan freshly shredded
- 1 cup baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat, brown sliced sausage on both sides, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add onions to olive oil and cook 3-4 minutes until onions start to soften. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Increase heat to medium-high and stir in chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, orzo, cajun seasoning, and sausage and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook for about 15 minutes, or until orzo is tender. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and spinach. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 773kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 1254mg | Potassium: 864mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1909IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 365mg | Iron: 3mg
5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!
- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
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