Meatballs and Orzo (ONE Pot!)

You’ll use just one pot to make this irresistibly delicious Meatballs and Orzo dinner, complete with one-ingredient “meatballs” and luxuriously creamy Italian-seasoned orzo.

Meatballs and Orzo

This Creamy Orzo (along with this Chicken Orzo and Creamy Pesto Orzo) are all on frequent rotation at my home — we have one of these creamy orzo dishes at least every other week. They’re easy to make and every member of the family loves them! Plus I’m always excited to “sneak” more veggies onto my kiddos’ plates.

So after recently perfecting and sharing this one-pot Meatballs and Rice, I had the idea to combine the two meals — joining the “meatballs” with the creamy orzo. The result? A huge dinner winner! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe!

One Ingredient Meatballs

When you think of meatballs, you may think you’ve got an investment of time ahead. But not with this recipe! In true “back-to-school lifesaver” form, the “meatballs” in this recipe need only one ingredient with no rolling or shaping required.

The one ingredient? Italian sausage. We’ll slice the sausage into small coins and there you have it  — “meatballs” in a hurry!

• Depending on personal preference, use mild or spicy sausage — either works. (When making this for my kids, we use mild.)
• Make sure to get Italian sausages with casings (as opposed to ground Italian sausage) so the sausages can be cut into the mini “meatballs.”  If you do get the ground sausage, you could remove it in one large piece and cut into squares.
• Before cutting the sausage, remove the casings.

What’s Orzo?

As mentioned, we use orzo pasta in this Meatballs and Orzo recipe. If you aren’t familiar, orzo is a type of short-cut pasta that looks like large grains of rice. And for some reason kids think it’s extra special….so using it in a meal almost guarantees success!

You can find orzo in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. And we don’t use the entire box in this recipe, so you the leftovers in one of these tasty recipes: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup or this Italian Sausage Orzo Soup!

How To Make Meatballs and Orzo (Tips)

• Prep everything before you start cooking. This is a dish where the cooking goes pretty quickly so you want to make sure to have everything ready to go before starting.
• Don’t be stingy with the seasonings. This dish doesn’t have a whole lot of seasoning because it’s relying on the chicken stock (which has plenty of seasonings already), the seasoned sausage, and Parmesan cheese. Don’t be afraid to add more salt and pepper!
• Use whole milk. While 1% or 2% milk will work, I highly recommend whole milk in this recipe. I do not recommend skim milk or a dairy milk alternative. This is a creamy recipe, and the lower-fat choices just don’t achieve that texture.

Serve One Of These Dishes On The Side:

• Our favorite everyday Salad Recipe (quick to make!)
• Roasted Vegetables with an amazing seasoning blend
• Olive Garden Salad with an Italian-inspired vinaigrette
• French Bread perfect for mopping up leftover sauce!
• Cucumber Feta Salad with a light lemon vinaigrette

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5 from 2 votes

Meatballs and Orzo

By Chelsea Lords

One-pot Meatballs and Orzo is a creamy, Italian-inspired dinner featuring easy meatballs and perfectly seasoned orzo. So simple, so good!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Large pot nonstick

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion
• ▢ 19 ounces Italian sausage see note 1
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen peas
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cups chicken stock or broth
• ▢ 2-1/4 cups whole milk see note 2
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta see note 3
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided, see note 4
• ▢ Fresh parsley optional, for serving
• ▢ 1 lemon optional, for serving

Instructions 

• Get ready to move fast with this dish! First, measure and set aside the milk (warmer milk cooks faster). Dice the onion (use a food processor for speed) and prepare the sausage (see note 1).
• Heat the oil in a large, nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the sausage coins and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and browned. (Avoid constant stirring for a nice char.) Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Once sausage is cooked through, add frozen peas and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover with foil, and set aside. Don’t wipe out the pot.
• Return the pot to medium heat. Melt the butter, then whisk in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the stock. Add milk, uncooked orzo, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir well.
• Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce to maintain a gentle bubble. Cook uncovered for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking. The pasta should be almost tender after this time, and the mixture will still be soupy. Add the sausage mixture and stir gently. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup Parmesan and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, enhancing the overall flavor.
• The consistency should be creamy, like risotto. If needed, add a splash of milk to thin it out. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over individual servings. For extra flavor, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy while hot.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Use mild or spicy Italian sausage based on your preference. Choose sausages with casings so you can cut them into mini meatballs. Remove the casings first, then slice the sausages into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. They don’t need to be perfectly round.

If you have bulk ground sausage, place it on a cutting board and cut it into a grid to make squares. This works just as well!

Note 2: For a creamy recipe, use whole milk for the best results. While 2% and 1% milk will work, they’ll be less creamy. Skim milk or dairy alternatives don’t work as well in this recipe.

Note 3: Though orzo resembles rice, it’s not a grain and can’t be used interchangeably with rice in this recipe. Look for orzo in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. Use only 1-1/2 cups, not the entire box. I don’t recommend substitutes for orzo, as it achieves a creamy, risotto-like consistency that larger pastas can’t replicate.

Note 4: Use a block of Parmesan and grate it using the small holes of a grater, or use finely grated Parmesan cheese. Avoid canned Parmesan as it is too salty and won’t melt well into the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.9g | Protein: 28.6g | Fat: 39.6g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1082.8mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 10.1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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