Skillet Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Orzo

This recipe is yet another one of my “let’s clean out the fridge and pantry,” type of recipes. Meaning, let me use up ingredients before I go buy more ingredients for my cooking adventures. Crescent brand Cilantro Lime seasoned chicken breasts stored in my freezer (a rare find at Wegmans), a fancy made in Italy, gluten-free Orzo package I purchased some time ago, hiding in the pasta section of my pantry. Fresh herbs of parsley and dill, the remaining bunch from a recent soup recipe, wrapped in a damp paper towel, sealed in a Ziploc bag, waiting to be chopped and utilized, mushrooms that came home with me during my last grocery trip, which I intended to use in an omelette but in fact, never did. There was also a sealed jar of sun-dried tomatoes in my pantry, the actual date of purchase unknown. So all these amazing ingredients, patiently waiting their turn, just had to be combined into a recipe that accentuated their originality in a collective preparation. And of course, staying true to the way I cook and “meal prep” for the week, this recipe in the making had to be one that would sit in the fridge for the next 3-4 days and taste even yummier when reheated. So with these set requirements in mind, I proceeded to create the following, which not only met, but exceeded my expectations in every way!

The only two seasonings required in this recipe, in addition to salt and pepper, is red pepper flakes and a chicken bouillon cube. The marinated chicken breasts bring forth a burst of flavor, sweet and tart sun-dried tomatoes impart a chewy texture, as do the earthy, sautéed mushrooms and mascarpone cheese contributes an unmatched creaminess and taste to this skillet preparation, resulting in an intensely flavorful recipe. It’s like a fusion version of Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice), with the volume turned way up!