Cheesy Fajita Orzotto
This spicy, one pot dish has all of the flavours of fajitas in one risotto-like, indulgent dish.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories477
- Carbs48g
- Protein41g
- Fat12g
- Saturates5.6g
- Sugars10g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
This recipe came about when we were thinking about making a spicy pasta bake that was packed full of fajita flavours. Experimenting with orzo instead of larger pasta shapes helped to transform this dish from a pasta bake to a risotto-like bowl of creamy, indulgent deliciousness!
We’ve used turkey mince in our Cheesy Fajita Orzotto, but it would also work really well with pork mince instead if you’d prefer. Love your food with a fiery, spicy kick? Add some chilli flakes alongside the other herbs and spices to liven things up!
We think that this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto works really well served with lettuce wraps – simply separate a couple of little gem lettuces into individual leaves, rinse them and then fill them up with your creamy orzo!
What diets is this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto suitable for?
This recipe can be made suitable for vegetarian diets as long as you use vegetarian alternatives for the following ingredients:
- Chicken stock cube
- Turkey mince
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
How Weight Watchers friendly is this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto recipe?
Weight Watchers’ new PersonalPoints plan calculates each individual’s Points allowance based on their unique food preferences and goals. This means we’re no longer able to offer exact WW points for our recipes.
The good news is that all of our recipes are still Weight Watchers friendly! If you have any questions about your Points budgets or you’re unsure how a certain recipe will fit into your plan, please reach out to Weight Watchers directly.
Do you need any special ingredients to make this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto?
If you haven’t heard of orzo before, it’s basically a type of pasta that looks a bit like rice! You should be able to pick it up in your local supermarket in the pasta aisle!
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‘Delicious, cheesy, fajita goodness! Ticks all the comfort food boxes and more.’
How many calories are in this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto?
There are 477 calories per portion in this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto, which means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence category.
This Cheesy Fajita Orzotto is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Spray a casserole pan with low calorie cooking spray, and fry the turkey mince, onions and peppers over a medium to high heat for 5-6 minutes, until the mince is opaque and the onions soft.
Step 2
Add the garlic granules and fajita seasoning and stir well.
Step 3
Stir in the tomato puree and allow to cook for a minute, then stir the stock into the water add to the pan and bring to the boil.
Step 4
Add the orzo to the pan and stir well, ensuring the pasta is covered by the stock.
Step 5
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes stirring every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
Step 6
When the orzo is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed, uncover and stir in the lemon juice and coriander.
Step 7
If there is still excess liquid, cook for a few minutes without the lid on – you want a consistency similar to a risotto. Then stir in the cheese, until it’s melted.
Step 8
Sprinkle the top with some sliced spring onions and serve!
What could I serve with this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto?
We love this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto served with a crisp mixed salad, but any of the following would also work really well!
How do you know when this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto is cooked?
You’ll need to cook your Cheesy Fajita Orzotto until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has disappeared. This should take between 15 – 20 minutes.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Portion individually and freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat this Cheesy Fajita Orzotto?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes or until piping hot. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to the pasta when you reheat it as freezing can sometimes dry the pasta out!
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Cheesy Fajita Orzotto
This spicy, one pot dish has all of the flavours of fajitas in one risotto-like, indulgent dish.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
25 MINS
- KCals 477
- Carbs 48G
Instructions
- Spray a casserole pan with low calorie cooking spray, and fry the turkey mince, onions and peppers over a medium to high heat for 5-6 minutes, until the mince is opaque and the onions soft.
- Add the garlic granules and fajita seasoning and stir well.
- Stir in the tomato puree and allow to cook for a minute, then stir the stock into the water add to the pan and bring to the boil.
- Add the orzo to the pan and stir well, ensuring the pasta is covered by the stock.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes stirring every few minutes to make sure it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.
- When the orzo is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed, uncover and stir in the lemon juice and coriander.
- If there is still excess liquid, cook for a few minutes without the lid on - you want a consistency similar to a risotto. Then stir in the cheese, until it's melted.
- Sprinkle the top with some sliced spring onions and serve!
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67 comments
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HelenTuesday 10th May 2022
Could this be made with beef mince ?
LisaTuesday 10th May 2022
Hi Helen
Yes, you could use beef, pork or veggie mince if you prefer. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Susan GibsonWednesday 4th May 2022
The entire family loves this dish, it’s a fantastic one pot family meal. My daughter is wondering if you can eat this cold the following day?
HollyFriday 6th May 2022
Hey Susan, we are so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Yes you can eat the Cheesy Fajita Orzotto cold or reheat until piping hot, hope that help!
BeckiMonday 2nd May 2022
Had anyone made this with rice instead of orzo? It’s a firm favourite in our house and I’m wanting to make it for some friends who are gluten free so thinking I could use rice instead? Anyone got any ideas how to make it work? Thanks for helping….
HollyTuesday 3rd May 2022
Hey Becki, we haven’t tested this recipe using rice and you might need to tweak the recipe, cooking times and amount of liquid you use to get good results. I’ve had a look online and you can get gluten free orzo from some shops and some websites suggest using arborio rice instead but as we have not tested the recipe this way, we can’t guarantee how successful it will be. Let us know how it goes if you decide to try it. Hope that helps!
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