Name: Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 package (6 oz) garlic and herbs Boursin cheese; 16 oz dry orzo pasta; 16 oz prepared bruschetta topping; ¼ tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp dried parsley; ½ tsp dried oregano; ¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes; 1 tsp Kosher salt; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper; 16 oz sweet Italian chicken sausage (fully cooked), sliced about ¼-inch thick; 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 3 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; ½ cup grated parmesan cheese; Small handful of fresh basil and/or parsley, chopped; Balsamic glaze

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Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo is an outstanding weeknight dinner that features Italian flavors, a creamy sauce, and tons of protein. A secret ingredient that’s now available in most regular grocery stores boosts the meal to another level, and which will leave your family clamoring for seconds!

A serving of Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo is on a plate. The orzo has been drizzled with balsamic glaze and sprinkled with chopped fresh basil.

Why We Love This Recipe

It’s bursting with our favorite Italian flavors like bruschetta, garlicky cheese, and Italian seasonings!
Orzo pasta cooks quickly, even in the oven!
Clean up is a cinch!
It’s full of protein (chicken sausage, beans, and cheese) and keeps us fuller longer!
Dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes, from start to finish!
We’re using up a bunch of pantry staple ingredients for this orzo recipe!

Overhead photo of a large baking dish with the cooked Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo in it. There is a wooden spoon in the dish scooping out some of the orzo.

What’s So Great About Baked Orzo?

There’s truly nothing I love more than a one pan meal! The cooking and prep time is usually pretty quick and the clean up is so simple!

Every single one pan meal I’ve ever made has been a huge hit with my family, and this chicken sausage orzo bake is no different!

This baked orzo is one of a series of one pan orzo recipes that I’m working on and it definitely hits all the marks for ease, comfort, and deliciousness.

As far as one pan meals go, baked orzo is one of the best around! The orzo cooks in a flavorful bath of broth, herbs, spices, and cheese that all create an amazing sauce the orzo and your choice of protein and/or greens are served in.

Ingredients for Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo are laid out in bowls on a white counter.

Baked Orzo Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s the basic shopping list for this Boursin baked orzo recipe. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full printable Ingredients list for this great recipe!

Garlic and herbs Boursin cheese
Dry orzo pasta
Prepared bruschetta topping: The secret ingredient for a major flavor boost!
Dried herbs: Garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sweet Italian chicken sausage (fully cooked)
Cannellini beans, or another type of large white beans
Low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Grated parmesan cheese
Small handful of fresh basil and/or parsley
Balsamic glaze

A wooden spoon is scooping some of the Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo out of the baking dish.

How to Make This Simple Baked Orzo Recipe

Here are the basic instructions for how to make my easy baked orzo recipe with Boursin cheese. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full set of Instructions!

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 425° F.

Boursin cheese is set in a baking dish with uncooked orzo, bruschetta, and Italian seasoning.

STEP 2: Place the Boursin cheese in the center of a large baking dish. Scatter the dry orzo, bruschetta, dried herbs and spices, salt, and pepper followed by the sliced chicken sausage and then the beans.

Pour the broth over the chicken sausage and beans and then drizzle the olive oil on top. Loosely cover the dish with a piece of foil.

Beans, broth, and chicken sausage have been added to the baking dish along with the Boursin cheese, bruschetta, and herbs to make the Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo.

STEP 3: Bake for and after a few minutes, stir the cheese into the other ingredients. Recover the dish with foil and continue baking until the orzo is cooked through. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

STEP 4: Season to taste with salt and garnish with the chopped fresh herbs and a drizzle of balsamic glaze as you serve the orzo.

PRO TIP: If the orzo seems too thick when you take it out of the oven – it should be thick and creamy, but not like glue – stir in some heavy cream, broth, or water to thin the orzo mixture out.

After a few minutes baking, the Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo has been mixed up to create a creamy sauce for the Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo to finish baking.

Easy Swaps

Cheese: Even though I developed this recipe with Boursin Garlic and Herbs cheese, other similar options work too. Instead try Boursin Garlic and Shallots, chèvre, Alloutte brand cheese, garlic & herb Pub cheese, or herbed goat cheese.

Pasta: If you don’t have orzo, another small pasta like ditalini will work great.

Chicken Sausages: Any pre-cooked chicken sausage brand will work for this recipe but make sure you pick a flavor that goes well with the Boursin cheese. If you’d rather cook fresh chicken sausage or sweet Italian pork sausage, either of these will definitely work as well.

Vegan Sausage: Vegan sausage options will work great for this meal too! My favorite vegan sausage is Field Sausage.

Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo in a white large baking dish.

Broth: You can easily swap chicken broth and vegetable broth for chicken stock or vegetable stock.

Dried Herbs: If you’ve got it handy, use a heavy 2 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in place of the individual herbs I list in the recipe.

Greens: To boost the nutritional value of this meal, feel free to mix in some fresh greens towards the end of the baking time. Fresh spinach, baby kale, and arugula are perfect here since they cook down quickly. I don’t recommend bigger kale varieties (like curly, etc.) or chard because they need longer cooking times to soften.

Veggies: Feel free to add some extra veggies to this meal too! Chopped cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes would all be delicious in this adaptable and easy recipe.

A serving of Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo is on a plate and served with salad on the side.

How to Reheat Baked Orzo

Because this is a cheesy orzo recipe, you’ll need to reheat the baked orzo gently to prevent it from separating. Oftentimes, reheating orzo in the microwave will heat the mixture too fast and it will turn oily.

To reheat baked orzo, set a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the orzo from your airtight container along with a couple tablespoons of cream or half and half.

Stir the cream into the orzo as it heats up, adding a little more cream if needed to loosen the mixture as it heats. Remove the pan from the heat when the orzo is hot.

More Orzo Recipes

I absolutely love to make orzo dinner recipes so I’ve got a bunch of them to recommend to you.

My favorite shrimp orzo recipe is a riff on shrimp scampi and let me tell you…it’s fast, easy, and incredibly delicious!

This easy boursin orzo bake is a major fan favorite on the site and as soon as you try it, you’ll be adding it to your regular dinner rotation asap.

Classic parmesan orzo with basil goes perfect with all kinds of protein and I love it best as a side dish with herb grilled chicken.

If you’re a soup fan, you’ll adore my creamy chicken orzo soup recipe! It’s chocked full of veggies, leftover roast chicken, and tender orzo in a fantastic creamy soup base.