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Cheesy Garlic Bread Orzo

By Carolyn Stilwell

5 from 1 vote

Updated Nov 09, 2024, Published on Feb 11, 2022

This Cheesy Garlic Bread Orzo was the first recipe in my popular February 2022 Orzo Series. The first step is to make garlic confit. This was my first time making garlic confit and I was surprised with how simple it was to make. It's a bit time consuming, but most of the time was hands-off as the garlic confit cooks on the stove over low heat. It was particularly easy if you buy pre-peeled garlic cloves to save a lot of prep time!

Watch how to make it here!

If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to check out some other favorites from my February Orzo Series!

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5 from 1 vote

Cheesy Garlic Bread Orzo

By: Carolyn Stilwell

This orzo inspired by one of my favorite appetizers - cheesy garlic bread! It starts by making a batch of flavorful garlic confit, then crispy brown butter bread crumbs, and finally a garlicky parmesan orzo.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 3

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Equipment

• Sauté Pan This Made In Sauté Pan is my favorite for all of my orzo recipes
• Box Grater
• Chef Knife

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 heads Garlic, separate cloves and peel
• ▢ 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add more if needed to submerge garlic
• ▢ 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, optional; use herbs of your choice
• ▢ 2 Dried Red Chilis, optional
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Butter, divided
• ▢ 1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped into small pieces
• ▢ Kosher Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• ▢ 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 cup Orzo Pasta, uncooked
• ▢ 2 cups Chicken Broth
• ▢ 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
• ▢ 1/2 cup Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, freshly grated

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Instructions 

• To a small saucepan, add 2 heads worth of peeled garlic cloves. Pour in olive oil until the garlic is just submerged. Add optional ingredients for extra flavor. I added rosemary and chilis. Cook over low heat for about 45 minutes or until garlic is very soft and easy spreadable. Pour into a heatproof glass container with a lid to store the extra garlic and garlic oil.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Swirl continuously for a few minutes until the butter turns brown and develops a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn. Stir in panko for two minutes until golden. Pour into a small bowl and stir in salt, pepper, and parsley. Set aside.
• Preheat the broiler on your oven. Melt the other tbsp of butter in a wide oven-proof skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add two cloves of minced garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring often. Add orzo and toast for two minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil then turn heat to medium-low and simmer stirring often until orzo is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed. Add additional broth if necessary.
• Once the orzo is cooked, stir in parmesan. Add about 8 cloves or more of the garlic confit. Stir until everything is well combined. Top with mozzarella and reserved brown butter breadcrumbs. Broil in the oven for about 3-5 minutes until melted and golden.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 739kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 52g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 31g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 415mg, Potassium: 386mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 636IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 236mg, Iron: 2mg

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

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