OMGoodness this stuff is good!
I got the original recipe from Food & Wine, online. Originally it is baked in a 12x8 inch baking dish but with my family that would have not been enough. I have a growing teenage boy and two girls that have dance for several hours nearly every day, so they consume a lot of food. Feta is a rather strong tasting cheese and though I know my kids like it, with the smaller pan and less of the other ingredients, it may have been too much. Especially for my youngest picky eater. They loved it so much, there was nary a crumb left in the pan. When I make this again (I have already had requests to do so, SQUEE!), I'll get pics of the process and finished results.
Cheesy Baked Orzo with Bacon and Spinach
*Adapted from Food &Wine
INGREDIENTS
Salt
2 cups orzo
12 oz bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
10 ounces baby spinach
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 tsp garlic powder (or two cloves of garlic minced, cook with leeks)
1 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 a onion minced, cook with leeks)
4 oz mozzarella, shredded
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup milk
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl.
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned, 8 minutes. Remove and put aside. Remove excess fat from pan leaving about 1/4 cup. Add the leeks and mushroom to bacon fat (plus garlic cloves and onion if using) and cook until tender, 8 minutes. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted. If there is liquid from the spinach, it's fine. Add the leek, mushroom, and spinach mixture to the orzo, fold in the feta, mozzarella, mint, basil, garlic powder, onion powder and season (if using) with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt and milk, season with pepper and stir into the orzo. Scrape the mixture into an oiled 13x10 inch baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes, until the eggs
are set and the top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
