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One Pot Cheesy Creamed Corn Orzo. Similar to risotto, but even creamier, and even more DELICIOUS. This is the ultimate summer comfort food. This simple corn orzo is made in 25 minutes, uses just one pan, and is a great way to use up fresh sweet summer corn. It’s creamy, garlicky, packed with fresh corn, and finished with crispy homemade bacon bits and fresh herbs. Perfect cozy, summer dinner or easy side, any night of the week. Everyone will enjoy this dish!
Think of this like risotto, but lighter, faster, and honestly, more delicious. I know that’s tricky to believe since risotto can be so delish, but this is everything we could want from a plate of creamy summer pasta.
And the bonus is how quick and easy it is!
A few summers back I shared one of our most popular recipes, my garlic butter creamed corn chicken. It’s one of those recipes that’s so perfect for the season, so easy, and a dinner everyone can enjoy. There’s nothing not to love about pan-seared chicken with sweet corn and bacon. Totally delish!
The next summer I shared another popular recipe, my creamy cheesy zucchini orzo. That recipe is for all the summer pasta lovers out there. It’s quick and simple, but creamy and yummy.
Today’s recipe is a combination of both the creamed corn chicken and that zucchini orzo. It’s so good, I’m so excited to share it!
The details
Step 1: cook the bacon
In a nice big pot, one large enough to hold the orzo, cook the bacon until it is very crispy. Then drain off the grease. If you’re vegetarian, feel free to skip this.
That being said, I think the bacon is a delicious addition. I just love the combination of sweet corn and salty crispy bacon.
Step 2: cook the corn and orzo
In that same pan, add some butter and an onion. Then mix in garlic, orzo, corn, and fresh thyme. I always season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Let the orzo toast for a few minutes in the golden brown butter.
Step 3: add the broth
Now pour on the broth and let the orzo finish cooking. Then I mix in a can of diced green chilies (for some spiciness), cream, parmesan, and cheddar.
Stir until the dish is very, very creamy. As you stir, smells of garlic, thyme, and parmesan will quickly hit your nose.
It’s wonderful!
Step 4: serve
Remove from the heat, and simply finish off with that crisped bacon (bacon bits) and fresh thyme. Enjoy immediately.
SO GOOD. I know I say this every single day, but this recipe really is good. It’s one of those recipes that you’ll crave time and time again. Plus the sauce kind of just melts in your mouth. YUM!
If you’d like to serve this as a side, that works great too. I’d recommend my favorite creamed corn chicken, this colorful creamed spinach salmon, a simple roasted chicken, or even a grilled steak. Any of these dishes would be delicious paired with this orzo.
Even though this is best right off the stove, the leftovers are still so good. The orzo becomes more like risotto and when heated up, it makes for the perfect lunch the next day. Love a dish that you can enjoy for dinner one night and lunch the following day!
Looking for other summer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Lemon Butter Chicken Piccata with Pesto Polenta
Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter Polenta Fries with Lemon Aioli
Zucchini Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Cheesy Creamed Corn Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Cheesy Creamed Corn Orzo
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 357 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups fresh corn (about 4 ears)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (4 ounce) diced green chilies
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Heat a pot over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain.2. Drain off most of the bacon grease. Add the butter and onion. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant. Mix in the garlic, orzo, corn, and thyme. Cook until golden and toasted, 2 minutes. 3. Pour over the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente, stirring often. It should become very creamy.4. Stir in the milk, green chilies, cheddar, parmesan, and green onions. Cook another few minutes until warmed through. As the orzo thickens up, add additional broth to thin. This should be creamy, but with just a touch of liquid.5. Divide the orzo among bowls and top with bacon and fresh thyme.
I added cooked chicken to the pot to turn it into more of a main meal item and it’s so good! I didn’t have Parm so I used Gouda but it was still delicious
So glad you loved the recipe! Thanks so much for giving it a try! xT
What’s the best way to add shredded rotisserie chicken from yesterday?
Hi there! I would add at the end of Step 4! xT
Question… is the corn cooked before you put it in or do you just cut uncooked the kernels off the cob ?
It’s just uncooked! xT
Really enjoyed this recipe and how simple it was to put together! I followed what another commenter did and added shredded chicken breast to make it more of a main. Next time I might add more corn–I had 2 cups’ worth from 2 large ears but I think it would have been even better with more. I also squeezed the juice from half a medium lemon into the pot at the very end. It seemed like that extra pop of acid brightened up the the dish a tiny bit (without imparting a strong lemon flavor).
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! So happy to hear it was enjoyed! Have an awesome week! xT
Made this and it was a major hit! Part of my recipe rotation for summer especially!
Awesome! Thank you, love to hear this! xT
Is it wrong to be eating leftovers at breakfast?
This was so yummy. Don’t leave out the crispy bacon, it adds so much.
The corn and green onions makes it so fresh tasting and is perfect for a summer side dish.
Thanks Tieghan for your awesome creative recipes.
Haha loveee leftovers for breakfast! So glad you loved this cheesy orzo! xT
This was fine, but I would not make it again. The One Pot Lemon Butter Ricotta Zucchini Pasta is MUCH better!
Thanks for the feedback Cherry! xT
Another home run recipe!! It was simple to pull together and very delicious!! Very excited for leftovers tomorrow! So very good!!
Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
Absolutely delicious! With sweet corn and chile-roasting season nearly upon us, I can hardly wait to make the most of Summer’s bounty with this recipe! I made it for my husband and a friend and it was universally given the “this is a keeper” thumbs up! When reheating the leftovers, I added a bit more chicken broth to loosen it up – just perfect the second time around as well. Awesome dish, thank you Tieghan!
Thanks so much Nancie! xT
So delicious! Perfect flavors together and pretty easy to make. It makes quite a lot but I loved having it for lunch and dinner for a couple days. I used fake bacon bits and no-chicken chicken broth since I’m vegetarian and added some crushed red pepper flakes and a little extra cheese (because I can never get enough cheese) and it tasted perfect! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
Wow thank you so so much!! xT
I added a shredded roasted chicken breast to make it a main dish meal. Really delicious! The Smokey bacon and fresh green onion made it perfect.
Thanks for trying out the recipe! So glad you loved it! xT
This was delicious, thank you! I made it without bacon (vegetarian), and with extra water (I like my pasta soft) and a bit of grated zucchini as you feature in similar recipes, just to use it up. It was a family hit, we’ll make it again! Thanks!
Hi Amy! So so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! xT
Probably a dumb question, but am I supposed to steam the corn before putting it in the pot? Or is it supposed to be uncooked corn straight off the cob?
I’m wondering this as well
One pound of pasta or 1 cup. I’m making it now and one pound seems like a lot of pasta with only 3 cups of chicken broth.
Hey Lisa! Yes, it’s one pound of orzo! Hope this helps! xT
Amazing and it wasn’t too difficult. Will def make again
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I hope you loved it! xT
This is amazing!! Dreaming about when I can make it again. Was wondering and thinking if I could substitute a frozen or canned (I don’t normally use canned) corn in the winter when fresh isn’t available where I live in Upstate NY?
Hi! Yeah that should work great! xT