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This creamy, one-pot, cheesy orzo is a simple and easy dinner that you can throw together in 20 minutes or less. Quick orzo with cheese is a guaranteed hit when it’s folded into rich, creamy cheese sauce—and it all comes together in one pot, without a roux, right on the stovetop!
This incredibly easy cheesy orzo is a one-pot recipe, which means you don’t have to make the sauce in one pot and boil the pasta in another—it all cooks together. Even better, there’s no roux.
But wanna know the best part? It reheats beautifully with ZERO sauce separation. Zilch. Nada. That makes it the perfect meal prep recipe.
In the recipe card, I list the recommended amount of cheddar, but we all know that cheese should be measured with your heart. Because guess what? You’re an adult and can put as much cheese in this as you WANT!
Extra-sharp cheddar (Tillamook is my favorite) is the way to go here because it gives that POP that you won’t get from a medium cheddar. If you’re only rocking medium cheddar in your fridge, add 1/2 tsp of dry mustard powder, or 1-2 tsp of yellow mustard.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Listen, besties – evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are not the same thing. You can only use evaporated milk in this recipe. Unless you want to make super gross, sweet cheesy orzo. You do you, boo.
- If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can sub in regular milk, half-and-half, or cream. Just make sure you heat it before adding it to the hot pan. This prevents the milk from curdling, resulting in a grainy cheese sauce.
One Pot Cheesy Orzo With Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic {minced}
- 2 cups orzo {uncooked}
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 1/3 cup butter {cut into cubes}
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 3 cups extra sharp cheddar
- 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.1 tbsp olive oil
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened (1-2 minutes)3 cloves garlic
- Add orzo, water, salt, butter, and salt to the saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil for 1 minute.2 cups orzo, 4 1/4 cups water, 1/3 cup butter, 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Reduce the stove temp to medium, and cook uncovered, occasionally stirring the mixture, until almost all of the water has been absorbed by the pasta (~8-10 minutes).Pro tip: If the orzo seems to be cooking "too hot", you can reduce the temperature to medium-low, and/or add additional water 1 tbsp at a time.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the evaporated milk and cheeses, and stir gently until all the cheese has melted.12 oz evaporated milk, 3 cups extra sharp cheddar, 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan
Notes
- Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are NOT the same thing. Only evaporated milk will work in this recipe.
- If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can sub in regular milk, half-and-half, or cream. Just make sure you heat it before adding it to the hot pasta. This prevents the milk from curdling, resulting in a grainy cheese sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
