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Chicken Taco Casserole with Orzo

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Casseroles are my family’s feel-good food and I serve them all the time. In just minutes, I can put one together and have it baking in the oven, and it’s a super easy way to make sure we get some quality protein in our diet.

For instance, this Chicken Taco Casserole with Orzo uses a can of premium chunk white chicken. Yep, quality protein is in the can!

Chicken Taco Casserole with Orzo

The latest dietary guidelines recommend that protein make up about one-quarter of the diet and should include lean cuts of meats and poultry, most types of seafood, and plant sources such as beans, nuts and legumes.

Most of us have favorite family recipes using canned proteins. Since canned goods are so casserole-friendly, I have a cantry full of them at all times.

Protein aids with muscle and tissue health, but some research suggests it may play a role in satiety, weight management and even energy. I’m definitely one of the nine in 10 Americans who feel fuller and satisfied longer with a meal containing protein.

So crack open some cans and get cooking!

ingredients for chicken taco casserole with orzo

You could be having this for dinner!

Chicken Taco Casserole with Orzo recipe

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Chicken Taco Casserole with Orzo

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Liz Mays

Ingredients

  • 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
  • 1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 pkg taco seasoning mix I like spicy
  • 1 cup dried orzo
  • 1 12.5 oz can premium chunk white chicken
  • 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In medium saucepan, add chicken broth, tomatoes (undrained), taco seasoning mix and orzo and bring to a boil. Stir in chicken.
  3. Pour into a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cover until serving.

Chicken_Taco_Casserole_with_Orzo

It’s an easy-to-make nutritious dinner the entire family will love right out of the Cantry.

Here are a few tips from Cans Get You Cooking to inspire you on the way to other healthy homemade meals:

Get creative! All you need for an easy, healthy home-cooked meal is a can opener, a strainer and some imagination. A salad becomes a meal with some canned chicken or salmon; pasta paired with canned crushed tomatoes and some spices make a savory entrée or side dish.

Use MyPlate as your meal planning guide Strive to comprise each meal with about one-quarter protein, one-quarter grains (preferably whole grains), and half fruits and vegetables. Canned fruits and vegetables are all excellent choices, since the nutrition, freshness and flavor are locked in at the peak of harvest. Canned chicken, tuna, salmon and clams are also excellent lean proteins – pre-cooked and ready to go. Don’t forget that canned beans count as a protein or a vegetable!

Have some go-to recipes. A well-stocked Cantry can offer a treasure trove of creative and nutritious meals to keep you cooking throughout the week. Keep a handful of tried-and-true, easy recipes using Cantry essentials on hand when time is tight. Visit CansGetYouCooking.com or the Cans Get You Cooking Pinterest page for ideas.

Surrender (some) authority to children Take meal preparation one step further by having children plan healthy meals and snacks for the family. Rotate among family members – kids included – in choosing what the family will eat on certain nights, or ask the children for input into healthy snacks to keep on hand.

What’s your family’s favorite recipe using items from your Cantry?

Like it? Check out similar posts on Eat Move Make!

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Italian Stuffed Peppers
Chicken and Mashed Potato Dumplings
Sweet & Spicy Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Chicken Tacos with Avocado Corn Salsa
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Comments

  13. This one looks very much delicious. Both my husband & my kids loves chicken the most. I have never tried this recipe before. Would love to try this for this weekend.

    Reply

  18. This looks quite tasty. I am thinking I could probably use my left over chicken with this. We are always looking for new ideas to go with our leftover chicken.

    Reply

  20. Yummy. That looks super delicious. This would be a perfect addition to my weekly meal plans. I will try this out next week to see if it will become a regular.

    Reply

  26. This is such a great recipe. I will have to try making this on the weekend. i love using canned goods to help create a meal.

    Reply

  32. Goodness gracious, that looks so tasty and tempting. The photos made my tummy growl. I’ll have to try this, I bet it would be great to bake ahead and serve after church for a quick meal. Thanks so much.

    Reply

  36. My family is a huge fan of casseroles. Gosh, it’s almost midnight here right now and looking at your Chicken Taco Casserole is not a good idea. Looks really good!

    Reply

  37. That looks just divine and I would love to prepare this Chicken Taco Casserole for one of my wine night with friends. I was thinking it may be good with Sangria too.

    Reply

  43. That looks so yummy! I love that the components are easy and straight forward, but it still gives a unique tasting final dish. The fact that it comes together pretty quickly is a big win too! – Jerusha, TheDisneyChef.com

    Reply

  45. I want to make this tonight. I have all the ingredients except orzo, so I’ll try pasta or rice as a substitute? It sounds like it might be okay with either. I like all the flavors listed in the recipe and I can’ imagine that either would turn out badly — or maybe I’ll add a little of both…

    Reply

  48. It looks good I ‘ll try to do in the coming Saturday thank you for sharing your recipe it will great

    Reply

  55. We love Mexican food, so this will be added to my to make list soon. I’ve never made orzo before, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever eaten before, so I’m looking forward to trying it.

    Reply

  64. I agree that the kids need some hands-on time in the kitchen. And let them pick out brightly colored veggies at the store too. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I haven’t tried Orzo, so this will be new for us.

    Reply

  68. This looks so easy to make! Can’t wait to make this for dinner tomorrow! We have all the ingredients already! Saves a trip to the store.

    Reply

  69. I would love to make it for our next potluck it looks very tempting and delicious I am sure it would be a hit

    Reply

  72. This! This looks delicious and perfect and so incredibly brilliant. Casseroles are a standard and have been for 100 years for a reason. They are easy and good.

    Lee

    Reply

  77. Yummy! Now this looks really delicious. I think my kids would really enjoy this as well. I’m going to have to bookmark this one and save for later.

    Reply

  82. This sounds like something my crew would love! I will have to make this, I’ve been looking for some new things to try that are easy!

    Reply

  88. First time I ‘ve heard of Cantry, pretty clever. I mainly use beans and corn and tomatoes. I always rinse my beans first and then sauce them up.

    Reply

  90. These look easy and delicious. I have no problem cooking with canned food. There are some chili and pasta dishes family loves.

    Reply

  94. Oh my goodness, I have a very soft spot for orzo. It is so soft and yummy… This recipe sounds amazing… I will totally be trying this. Thanks for sharing…

    Reply

  112. Sometimes it’s just so convenient to make dinner from cans. Like those times you didn’t make it to the grocery store, but you need to throw something delicious together for dinner. Oh, that’s my life, but you get my meaning 🙂

    Reply

  120. I love casseroles! Any kind of casseroles! But I’ve never had or even thought of making a casserole with orzo in it! This looks and sounds so delicious! I’m definitely going to be making this. I think my family will love it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  123. We love chicken tacos so much, we can’t stop eating them lol! Your recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try out for our 4Th of July party. Thanks! ^_^

    Reply

  126. That is so easy and looks so good! I have made the oven casserole, but this looks like I need to try it too!

    Reply

  128. It’ll be a fiesta at my house tonight! This looks and sounds fantastic. My mom made casserole after casserole growing up, and let’s just say they weren’t anything like this.

    Reply

  132. Looks so simple but yet delicious that my whole family would love. Even my kids love tacos so this recipe would be hit for us. Gotta try it out! Thank you Liz!

    Reply

  134. Anything chicken is good enough for me. But I never thought that this would be as tasty as I imagined. Tried it and it is perfect for my taste.

    Reply

  137. This looks delicious! I’ve never had a casserole with Orzo before and would like to try this!

    Reply

  138. It’s been years since I used canned chicken, but I remember it being surprisingly good! My favorite meal from my cantry is Tuscan Vegetable Soup. It uses canned beans, canned tomatoes, and canned broth.

    Reply

  143. I have always been scare to use Orzo because I was not sure how it would be but after reading this recipe I will be giving it a try!

    Reply

  147. We love Orzo and eating it still reminds me of the initial explanation my husband gave me about how it looks like rice but is actually pasta. This recipe looks so easy and is great for a busy evening.

    Reply

  148. This would be perfect for a busy weeknight meal, i love making casseroles, they are so easy and quick.

    Reply

  149. This looks absolutely delicious! What a yummy combination of flavors! I’d love to try and make this recipe!

    Reply

  150. OMG! this looks so yummy. Me & my family loves to eat this kind of dishes. This will please my relatives & friends too. Can’t wait to make my own. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  153. This looks super good and so easy to make. I have never used Orzo before. I will have to try this out.

    Reply

  154. I would also add some tortillas to the recipe. Either sliced up corn or flour tortillas or crunched up tortilla chips.

    Reply

  156. This sounds yummy and I like how easy it is to make. It will make a great quick and easy dinner on Friday before bowling.

    Reply

  157. I love orzo, but I usually use it for Italian style dishes. I never thought of using it for something Mexican, like this recipe. I would add some black beans to this, and maybe corn. Looks delicious though.

    Reply

  161. You know I am coming to your house for dinner one day, right? Everything you cook always looks so good and this is no exception!

    Reply

    • we are having a huge cookout on the Fourth of July, too, so this would be perfect to serve 🙂

      Reply

  166. Casseroles are the ultimate comfort foods! You can’t live in the south and not have an arsenal of casserole recipes to make from the pantry. Your chicken taco casserole looks delicious. I’ll be making it soon.

    Reply

  168. OMG that sounds ah-mazing. We love Mexican inspired meals like this, so I know it would be a huge hit.

    Reply

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