Cheesy Baked Winter Orzo

Cheesy Baked Winter Veggie Orzo

An easy roasted vegetable dinner with orzo that saves well for meal prep. Cheesy Baked...

An easy roasted vegetable dinner with orzo that saves well for meal prep.

Cheesy Baked Winter Veggie Orzo

You may have made my Cheesy Baked Summer Veggie Orzo before, using seasonal produce like zucchini and bell peppers. If you liked that, then you’re going to love this season’s orzo bake!

Cheesy Baked Winter Veggie Orzo

These kind of meals get me through the tough weeks when I don’t have a minute to think about what to make for dinner. I just some roast veggies, toss them with cooked orzo (which only takes a few minutes to cook), sprinkle on some mozzarella and let the cheese melt.

It’s ideal for meal prep and frankly, gets better as it sits in the fridge. There are a few way you can change this up in case it becomes a staple:

  • Add a sausage (or simply serve with sausage)
  • Serve with a dollop of pesto or replace the marinara sauce with pesto
  • Stir in some kale (I actually originally made it this way for my family and forgot to add the kale into the recipe photos!)

Cheers to easy, low fuss meals this holiday season!
Cheesy Baked Winter Veggie Orzo

Cheesy Baked Winter Veggie Orzo

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 20 ounces cauliflower florets
  • 3 large carrots, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • extra virgin olive oil 
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 ounces dry orzo
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/4 cups Rao's Tomato Basil sauce (or similar)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • red pepper flakes for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, add the cauliflower, carrots, and onions. Drizzle with olive oil, season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Spread in an even layer on the sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until veggies are fork tender.
  • While vegetables cook, prepare the orzo. Boil a pot of water and once boiling, add the orzo. Reduce heat to low to a simmer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
  • Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, wide, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Let garlic cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then, stir in the roasted vegetables, cooked orzo, and tomato sauce and stir to combine. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese, stir, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes or until mozzarella on top is melted and gooey. Uncover and immediately garnish with red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • So yummy and my toddler loved it too!
  • Yum!! PERFECT, easy meal prep! I love meatless lunches that reheat well. This is awesome! Thank you!
    • It's a great one! Let us know how it comes out for you!
  • I don’t like cauliflower - what is a good substitution?
  • This was decent, but not sure I would make it again. I doubled the grains and tomato sauce and only used half the cheese. (Used a couscous/orzo/quinoa blend from Trader Joe’s because my local stores were out of orzo.) I made 8oz of grains and thought it didn’t look like enough compared to the veggies so made more. 3 votes said the grain/veggie ratio was good and 1 vote said still needed more grains. Good way to eat veggies but just wasn’t that exciting.
    • This is so helpful! Thank you for this honest feedback, Christin!