024 / 75 · Noodles, Grains and Pantry Bakes

Turkey, Sweetcorn and Orzo Hotdish

Name: Turkey, Sweetcorn and Orzo Hotdish
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 main-dish portions
Ingredients: 8 oz dry orzo pasta (225 g); 10 cups water (2.4 L), for pasta; 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml); 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g); 1 lb ground turkey (450 g); 1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/2-in/1-cm dice (200 g prepared); 1 large red bell pepper, cut in small dice (150 g prepared); 1 tablespoon butter (15 g); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (18 g); 1 3/4 cups milk (420 ml); 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock (120 ml); 2 cups frozen sweetcorn (280 g); 3 oz cheddar, grated (85 g), divided: 2 oz/55 g for sauce and 1 oz/30 g for top; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (6 g); 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g); 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 main-dish portions · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 25 min

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Small orzo pasta is folded into a creamy turkey-and-sweetcorn filling, with zucchini and red pepper cooked before the sauce is made. The orzo is boiled separately so the middle of the bake stays moist. It looks like a grain, but it is pasta and needs its own clear starting state and cooking instruction.

Jump to ingredients

Hand-drawn turkey, sweetcorn and orzo hotdish with zucchini and red pepper.

Do not ask dry orzo to guess the liquid

A small pasta shape can disappear into a sauce so easily that it is tempting to add it dry. Here the milk and stock are measured for a prepared filling, not for absorption cooking. Boil the orzo two minutes short of the packet time, drain through a fine enough sieve and fold into the warm sauce. It will finish during baking without stealing all the liquid. Keep a spoon ready to loosen it after draining; a mound of tiny pasta left standing can clump before it reaches the skillet.

Zucchini gives water before it gives flavor

Cut the zucchini into small dice and cook it with the pepper until released moisture has evaporated. If the pan is swimming, keep it uncovered a little longer before the flour stage. Turkey goes in after the onion has softened and must reach 165°F before the sauce is assembled. The vegetables should remain visible, not be cooked into a purée. A little cheddar goes into the sauce off the heat, with the rest scattered on top. This makes the filling taste rounded without laying a thick rubbery cheese sheet over it.

A small shape needs a broad serving

Orzo settles into the gaps between the turkey and corn, so stir the assembled mixture once before spreading it evenly in the dish. The same wide shallow pan helps the center heat without drying out a tall edge. Rest for five minutes and serve with a broad spoon. For lunch portions, chill promptly in separate shallow containers and carry cold with two cold sources. Small pasta is convenient to eat, but its size does not make a dairy-and-poultry filling safe to carry warm for an afternoon.

Ingredients

8 oz dry orzo pasta (225 g)
10 cups water (2.4 L), for pasta
1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g)
1 lb ground turkey (450 g)
1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/2-in/1-cm dice (200 g prepared)
1 large red bell pepper, cut in small dice (150 g prepared)
1 tablespoon butter (15 g)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (18 g)
1 3/4 cups milk (420 ml)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock (120 ml)
2 cups frozen sweetcorn (280 g)
3 oz cheddar, grated (85 g), divided: 2 oz/55 g for sauce and 1 oz/30 g for top
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (6 g)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, Large pasta saucepan, Fine colander or sieve, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Whisk, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer

Allergens

Wheat, Milk; check orzo for egg and stock for celery or other allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

Heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet and bring pasta water to a boil. Heat oil in the skillet over medium heat and cook onion 6–8 minutes until softened.
Add turkey and cook over medium-high heat 8–10 minutes, breaking it up, until several places reach 165°F (74°C). Add zucchini and pepper and cook 6–8 minutes until softened and excess water has evaporated.
Melt butter into the mixture and stir in flour for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk and stock. Add frozen corn, salt and pepper and simmer 5–6 minutes, or the corn’s packet cooking time if longer, stirring until corn is cooked and sauce thickens. Take off the heat and stir in 55 g cheddar and chives.
Meanwhile boil orzo 2 minutes short of its packet time and drain well. Fold into the hot filling, spread in the dish and scatter remaining 30 g cheddar. Bake 20–25 minutes until lightly golden and the center and several other spots reach 165°F (74°C).
Rest 5 minutes and divide into six portions.

Choose a sieve before boiling

Orzo can escape through a colander with large holes. Set out the right draining tool before the water boils rather than discovering the problem with a pan of hot pasta in your hands.

A useful detail

The 85-minute total allows chopping, the full turkey-and-vegetable stage, overlapping orzo boiling, the bake and rest. Use dry pasta labeled orzo, not rice or another grain.

Another way

Replace ground turkey with 450 g ground chicken, cooking it to the same 165°F (74°C) endpoint before the vegetable-and-sauce stage.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier dairy or poultry deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), stirring a saved portion with a little water if needed. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator. Carry chilled lunches with two cold sources or refrigerate directly.