#338 – Pesto Chicken and Orzo & Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars

Pesto Chicken and Orzo

• 1.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup pesto, divided
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place chicken in a bowl and season evenly with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Add 1/4 cup pesto and turn to coat; let sit for 15 minutes. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, cook chicken for 3 minutes, until golden. Flip, and cook 1 to 2 more minutes, transfer chicken to a plate. (The chicken will finish cooking in the orzo, the only goal here is to get a nice golden sear.) Add onion to pan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in orzo and cook for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the pasta. Add broth, remaining pesto, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and nestle chicken back into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid, stir, and continue cooking, uncovered, until all the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is al dente, about 1 to 3 more minutes. Meanwhile, prepare tomato-basil topping by combining cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, and remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with a pinch of salt. Top chicken and orzo mixture with parmesan cheese, and spoon tomato-basil mixture over the cheese.

Blueberry Lemon Pie Bars

Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup butter, melted
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 cups flour

Filling

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 5 oz. sour cream
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, position a rack in the center position of the oven. Line a 9×9-Inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the sides; set aside.

Shortbread Crust – in a large bowl, combine the crust ingredients; stir until well combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of crust and place it in the refrigerator until needed. Press the remaining crust evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 18 minutes.

Filling – in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on high until smooth; add the sugar and lemon zest and beat until smooth. Add eggs and continue beating until completely incorporated. Add sour cream, lemon juice, and salt, and beat again. Finally, add the flour and beat once more until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries with a large spatula. Pour the filling into prepared crust and add a few blueberries on top of the filling. Remove reserved crust from the refrigerator and crumble over top of the filling. Sprinkle with additional sugar or course sugar if desired. Bake bars for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool at room temperature. When completely cool, chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. When the bars are completely chilled, lift out of the pan using foil overhang and cut into squares. Top with lemon zest before serving, if desired.