Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo
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The easiest, creamiest enchilada pasta ever. Even the pasta gets cooked right in the crockpot!
Now that we are finally in December and gearing up for the rest of the holidays, I figured we all needed a break from that Turkey Day comfort food and go a completely different direction to of course, Mexican food.
Well, I guess it’s more Mexican-Italian with the pasta and all but still – there’s no stuffing, no cranberry sauce and absolutely no turkey here. Just good old Mexican comfort food in pasta form.
Best of all, it all comes together conveniently in a slow cooker. There’s no sauteeing, no prepping, no nothing. Just throw it all in the crockpot and you’re set. Done and done.
And when you get home from work, you’ll have that creamy, cheesy enchilada goodness just waiting to be gobbled up. Just be sure to save a serving for later because the leftovers taste even better!
Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (10-ounce) can Old El Paso™ mild enchilada sauce
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles, drained
- ½ cup vegetable broth, or more, as needed
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Place diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, vegetable broth, corn and black beans into a 6-qt slow cooker.; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until well combined. Top with cream cheese.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Uncover and stir until cream cheese is well combined. Stir in orzo. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15-30 minutes. Add more vegetable broth as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, if desired.
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. All opinions expressed are my own.
Could you double this recipe?
I haven’t tried it myself but I don’t see why it should be a problem, although you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
I notice you use canned black beans in this recipe. Can I substitute reconstituted beans instead? How many cups would make up one can?
Ashley, 1 15-ounce can of black beans is equivalent to about 1 1/2 cups, drained.
This is so delicious! I used fat free cream cheese and it was still amazing! I never had orzo before, and now I love it! Thanks for the recipe!
Love your recipes, Chungah. I made the enchilada orzo today and it was very tasty. Instead of the canned enchilada sauce I used an easy homemade recipe (http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/) and it worked very well!!
I made it today and it was fabulous. Alot left over though for one person, How does it reheat the next day. Does it need a liquid to become creamy again. Anyone know how it freezes.
Good afternoon – I’m wondering if you have any recommendations to adapt this recipe for someone who doesn’t have a slow-cooker. I’d make it for a dinner. Thank-you!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on how to adapt this recipe without a slow cooker. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide from Williams-Sonoma: http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/slow-cooker-vs-dutch-oven-a-conversion-guide/.
This was so delicious! I am from Texas originally and have had more than my fair share of Tex Mex. This was a nice change with orzo and didn’t feel too heavy. It was so creamy and the fresh cilantro was the perfect topping at the end. I added frozen chicken and a whole can of black beans. Will absolutely make again!
Do you really add the uncooked orzo for the last 20mins? Or did I miss somewhere that your suppose to cook it first?
That’s exaclty right – there’s no need to cook it separately.
Hi again. Any recommendations on the liquid measurements, Chungah? Thanks!
Michelle, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on the correct liquid measurements. Please use your best judgment.
Hi Chungah,
This recipe sounds delicious…only problem is I don’t have a slow cooker. Can I do this as a one pot dish (similar to your other orzo recipes? If so, any suggestions or best practices? Thank you!
I haven’t tried it myself but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, although you may have to adjust the liquid measurements accordingly.
I am gluten and dairy free…can I substitute rice? what would be another substitute for the cream cheese that could make it creamy? Going to try and make it Monday the 15th…thanks
Yes, you can certainly substitute rice but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed to ensure that the rice is completely cooked through. You can also try substituting Greek yogurt but I recommend stirring at the very end of cooking time. I hope that helps!
Made this tonight for dinner. It was amazing!! Definitely making again. I served with chips which made great for scooping. I also added more vegetable broth at the end when adding in the orzo. Loved it!! Husband loved it too. Thank you.
This recipe is perfect for this time of year. Warming, healthy, and easy to throw together! With the rush of the holiday season anything in the crock pot is a slam dunk! Can’t wait to get this cooking at my house!
Hi,
This recipe looks absolutely fantastic! I’m unfortunately not a fan of cream cheese (nor of greek yogurt) and was wondering if you knew of any substitutes that would work with this?
Thanks!
Jen, sour cream would be a suitable substitute, although the use of cream cheese would yield the best results possible. I promise – it doesn’t taste “cream cheesy” at all – it just lends off that creamy goodness!
I am just cooking this today and used soft unripened goat cheese instead as I can’t do cow’s milk. Quite often you can sub goat cheese for cream cheese.
Is this a side dish or entrée? I can’t figure what I’d eat with this? I usually serve rice and beans w/enchiladas, but I don’t think I would with the orzo. Chips maybe??
Faline, this is more of an entree but feel free to serve this alongside some chips – that’s what we did!
i have a electric pressue cooker, how much time should i use to make this yummy dish!
Maril, unfortunately, I do not have much experience using a pressure cooker. Please use your best judgment to convert this recipe to utilize a pressure cooker.
I am making this on Sunday, it looks SOOOOO good and I can’t stop thinking about it!
Oh, how I love my slow cooker – endless things to make in it – this looks wonderful! I love the orzo in it too 🙂
I have never had orzo before, but it looks delicious, and this dish is so colourful it makes me happy 😀 x
This is just what I was looking for! I love meatless dishes AND I love slow cooker dishes!! Double yay!! Thanks so much for posting this!