Mushroom Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo is a rich, creamy, and deeply flavorful dish that combines hearty ingredients into a comforting baked pasta. Tender orzo is cooked to perfection in a brothy pool of herbed Boursin cheese and roasted garlic chicken sausage. The star ingredient adds an earthy, umami flavor in every bite.
Let’s chat about one of the most cozy yet elevated dishes you’ll come across: Mushroom Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo.
Baked until golden and bubbly, this flavor-packed pasta bake combines savory roasted garlic chicken sausage, earthy sliced mushrooms, and velvety Boursin cheese, all nestled in perfectly cooked orzo in under 35 minutes.
Can dinner get better than that?
As you probably know, I’m a huge fan of one pan meals. And this one is a one-pan wonder that’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough for entertaining. Whether you’re a fan of creamy pastas or looking for a new go-to casserole, this dish is sure to become a favorite.
Now, let’s dive into this irresistible recipe!
What’s So Great About this Orzo Bake Recipe?
Want to know why this is THE BEST creamy Baked Orzo recipe out there? Here are just a few of the reasons we love it so much:
- Mushrooms give the meal earthy flavor that blends great with the punchy, garlicky cheese and chicken sausage flavors.
- It’s a one-pan recipe which you’ll transfer directly from the stovetop to the oven to the table to serve.
- Clean up is simple with just one pan to wash.
- Prep time is minimal by using a package of sliced mushrooms and fully cooked chicken sausage.
- Cheese isn’t brand-specific so you can use your favorite brand of spreadable garlic and herb cheese. See the “Easy Swaps” section below of lots of suggestions other than Boursin.
Shopping List for this Boursin Baked Orzo
Here’s the basic shopping list for this easy weeknight dinner recipe.
Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full printable Ingredients list for this great recipe!
- Sliced mushrooms – White, button, baby bella, or cremini mushrooms all work in this recipe.
- Shallots
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic and Herbs Boursin cheese – See the “Easy Swaps” section below for more suggested cheeses.
- Dry orzo pasta
- Roasted garlic chicken sausage – Fully cooked chicken sausage makes for a fast cooking time.
- Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Mushroom Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo
Here are the easy instructions for how to make this baked orzo recipe. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full set of Instructions!
STEP 1: Preheat the oven.
STEP 2: Heat a large ovenproof braiser or deep sauté pan over medium heat. Toss in the mushrooms and allow them to cook undisturbed. Swirl the olive oil and butter into the pan until the butter is melted and then drop the shallots in with some salt and black pepper.
PRO TIP!
When you cook the mushrooms in an even layer without touching them, you’ll allow the moisture to escape quickly. This will make the mushrooms brown faster instead of boiling in their own liquid. The full set of Instructions in the recipe card below has more details on this simple process.
STEP 3: Remove the pan from the heat and place the cheese in the center of the pan, followed by the orzo, chicken sausage, broth, rosemary, and olive oil.
STEP 4: Cover and bake for a few minutes. Stir the cheese into the other ingredients and continue baking until the orzo is cooked through. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
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, Alloutte brand cheese, garlic & herb Pub cheese, or herbed goat cheese. I also love the garlic and herb cheese spread you can find in a big container at Costco!
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. Simply cook the sausage along with the mushrooms and shallots.
Vegan Sausage: Vegan sausage options will work great for this meal too! My favorite vegan sausage is Field Sausage.
Broth: You can easily swap chicken broth and vegetable broth for chicken stock or vegetable stock.
Herbs: If you’ve got some handy, feel free to add a few sprigs of fresh thyme in addition to or in place of the rosemary.
Greens: To boost the nutritional value of this meal and to use up leftovers in the fridge, 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 all cook down quickly.
Veggies: Feel free to add some extra veggies to this meal too! Artichokes, peas, and sun-dried tomatoes would all be delicious in this adaptable and easy orzo recipe
How to Reheat Creamy Baked Orzo
Because this is a creamy baked orzo recipe, you’ll need to reheat the orzo gently so that the sauce doesn’t separate. 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 with about 1 tablespoon of water in the bottom of the pan.
Then 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.
What to Serve with Baked Orzo
This is more or less a complete meal on its own. However, if you want to stretch the servings for extra people or simply add extra carbs – no one will complain! – then I have a couple of suggestions.
A quick tossed salad with my very favorite Italian house dressing is always a great idea to add some extra veggies to a meal.
For carby goodness, I’m going to always recommend my garlic knots recipe or this garlic parmesan pull-apart bread. Both recipes are made with pizza dough, which you can either make yourself or buy pre-made.
More Orzo Recipes
I absolutely love to make orzo dinner recipes so I’ve got a bunch of them on Smells Like Home to recommend to you.
My shrimp scampi 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 creamy broccoli orzo goes perfect with all kinds of protein and I love it best with herb grilled chicken and parmesan pork chops.
My chicken sausage boursin baked orzo is similar to this mushroom version except that there’s no stovetop cook time needed – it’s ready in about 20 minutes!
If you’re a soup fan, you’ll adore my creamy chicken orzo soup recipe! It’s chocked full of orzo, veggies, and leftover roast chicken in a cozy, creamy soup base.
Mushroom Chicken Sausage Boursin Baked Orzo
Ingredients
- 16 oz sliced mushrooms (white, button, baby bella, or cremini), roughly chopped
- 2 medium shallots, minced, about ⅓ cup
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 package (6 oz) garlic and herbs Boursin cheese
- 16 oz dry orzo pasta
- 1 package roasted garlic chicken sausage (fully cooked), sliced about ¼-inch thick
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat a large ovenproof braiser pan or deep sauté pan over medium heat. Toss in the mushrooms in an even layer and allow them to cook undisturbed. After a few minutes, the mushrooms will start to glisten and release some water around the edges. At this point, you can start to stir them up while continuing to cook. Swirl the olive oil and butter into the pan until the butter is melted and then drop the shallots in along with a heavy sprinkle of salt and a few cranks of black pepper; cook while stirring occasionally until they start to soften and the mushroom brown a little, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and create a 4-inch circle in the center of the pan by pushing the mushrooms and shallots out towards the edges of the pan.
- Unwrap the Boursin cheese from its wrapper and place the cheese in the center of the pan. Scatter the orzo around the cheese. Arrange the sliced chicken sausage on top of the orzo. Pour the broth over the chicken sausage and orzo - but not over the cheese - and then add the rosemary sprigs. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Loosely cover the dish with a piece of foil.
- Bake for 13 minutes. Stir the cheese into the other ingredients. Recover the dish with foil and bake for 10 to 12 more minutes, until thickened and the orzo is cooked through. Stir in the parmesan cheese. If the orzo is too thick, stir in a couple of tablespoons of water or extra broth to loosen up the sauce. Season to taste with salt and garnish with the chopped fresh herbs and extra parmesan as you serve the orzo.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 562Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 850mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 30g
This calculation is an estimation. For the most accurate calculation, please consult a nutritionist. Smells Like Home Studio, Inc. and Tara Liptak do not provide medical information or advice.
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