Crockpot Cheesy Enchilada Orzo is a yummy, easy side dish or meatless meal with corn, tomatoes, black beans, cheese, green chiles and spices.
Today I want to share a recipe for a delicious crockpot cheesy enchilada orzo. I found the original recipe online and then made a couple changes to suit our tastes. If you enjoy Mexican food or the flavors typically enjoyed in a delicious enchilada, then I’m pretty positive you will enjoy this dish, too!
Because a slow cooker (or “crockpot” is used) to cook this dish, you can set the timer to fit your schedule, let it do it’s “thing” and then about half an hour before you want to serve it, you finish adding a few remaining ingredients. It really could not be any easier to make!
Not only is it absolutely delicious, but it also makes a lot! If you choose to serve the enchilada orzo as a side dish, you should get approximately 10-12 servings. When you serve it as a main dish, it will yield between 6-8 servings.
So… grab your slow cooker and let me show you how easy it is to make crockpot cheesy enchilada orzo!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Fill The Crockpot
Pour two (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes (and the juice) into a crockpot/slow cooker. Add one (10 oz.) can of red enchilada sauce, and one can (4.5 oz.) of diced green chiles (drained).
Pour in ½ cup of vegetable broth, plus one can (15.25 oz.) of drained whole kernel corn and one can (15 oz.) of drained and rinsed black beans.
Stir all these ingredients very well until they are fully combined in the crockpot. This mixture I will call the “sauce”, because it is the foundational liquid base for this recipe.
Top the “sauce” with 4 oz. of cream cheese, cut into cubes or small pieces. Distribute it evenly over the surface and then add sharp cheddar cheese. I use three thin slices, cut into smaller pieces (as shown below). You can substitute cubes of sharp cheddar cheese, if necessary.
Do not stir the cheese in- simply let the two cheeses rest on the surface. Secure the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 7-8 hours OR on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours
Make The Seasoning Mix
While the slow cooker does its thing, you can whip up the seasoning mix to be added to this dish later. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, chili powder, ground cumin and garlic powder. Set aside.
Measure 2 cups of dried orzo pasta into a small bowl and set it aside to be ready to add later to the slow cooker. You will also need some extra vegetable broth available (approx.½ cup) to add to the orzo later, if necessary, to achieve the right consistency.
After The “Sauce” Finishes Cooking
When the cooking time has concluded, remove the lid from the crockpot/slow cooker. Stir the mixture very well until the cheeses have melted and are fully incorporated into the “sauce”.
Once the cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese have been incorporated well, it’s time to add the final ingredients to the crockpot.
Time To Add The Orzo And Spices
Add the dried orzo and the seasoning mix to the crockpot. Stir these into the “sauce” very well until they are fully combined with the other ingredients.
Add about ½ cup more vegetable broth to the crockpot and stir to combine. This additional liquid helps the dry orzo pasta to cook. Put the lid back on the slow cooker.
Cook the crockpot cheesy enchilada orzo for 30 more minutes on HIGH heat. After 15 minutes has passed, open the lid and stir everything well. If it looks like almost all of the liquid has already been absorbed, add a little bit more vegetable broth, as necessary.
Continue cooking until the orzo is tender to the bite (yep, take a tiny taste). If it needs a little bit more time to become tender, add a teensy bit more broth and continue cooking a few more minutes.
Serve The Crockpot Cheesy Enchilada Orzo
When the orzo is tender and almost all liquid has been absorbed, this dish is done and can be served immediately. Take a quick bite and add additional salt and pepper if desired, to suit your taste.
Crockpot Cheesy Enchilada Orzo can be served as a flavorful side dish OR it can be enjoyed as a meatless main dish. The black beans and corn provide protein, which is good to know if you’re serving it as a meatless main dish!
We enjoy serving the orzo topped with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro as a garnish, but that is optional! The orzo tastes absolutely delicious (so much flavor) and is really filling.
That’s A LOT Of Orzo!
This recipe also makes a LOT or crockpot cheesy enchilada orzo. Since it is just my husband and myself now that our sons are grown and live elsewhere, I divide it up after we’ve enjoyed our meal.
One serving goes into the freezer for later use, one is garnished and refrigerated to eat as leftovers. I even had enough to give a container full to a friend (who is a vegetarian) to enjoy!
The orzo can easily be reheated in a microwave (don’t add the optional sour cream and cilantro before you reheat it). It also freezes very well if sealed in an airtight freezer container.
NOTE: If necessary, stir in a tiny bit of water (or more broth) to the orzo when you reheat it, as it may have absorbed even more of the liquid while refrigerated.
I hope you have the chance to make this delicious crockpot cheesy enchilada orzo for yourself, your family, and for others you love. This dish has amazing flavor, and I truly believe you will enjoy it, hopefully as much as we do.
Thank you for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day!
Looking For More ORZO Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of ORZO recipes to choose from, including:
- One Pan Greek Chicken and Orzo
- Spinach and Orzo Salad
- Toasted Orzo with Lemon and Chives
- Asian Orzo Veggie Skillet
- Orzo with Parmesan
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Recipe Adapted from Chungah Rhee at: Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo – Damn Delicious
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Crockpot Cheesy Enchilada Orzo is a yummy, easy side dish or meatless meal with corn, tomatoes, black beans, cheese, green chiles and spices.
- 29 ounces canned diced tomatoes (= two 14.5 oz. cans) including juice
- 10 ounces canned red enchilada sauce = one 10 oz. can
- 4.5 ounces canned chopped green chiles drained
- 1 cup vegetable broth* *DIVIDED USE*
- 15.25 ounces canned whole kernel corn drained
- 15 ounces canned black beans rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
- 3 thin slices sharp cheddar cheese cut in small pieces
- 2 cups dried orzo pasta
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Put tomatoes (plus juice), enchilada sauce, *½ cup of vegetable broth, green chiles, corn and black beans into a slow cooker. Stir well, until they are combined.
Distribute cream cheese cubes and sharp cheddar pieces evenly on top. Do not stir the cheese in- simply let the two cheeses rest on top. Secure the lid on the slow cooker; cook on LOW heat for 7-8 hours OR on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, chili powder, ground cumin and garlic powder. Set aside.
When crockpot cooking time has ended, remove the lid from the crockpot/slow cooker. Stir well, until the cheeses have melted and are fully incorporated.
Add the orzo and seasoning mix to the crockpot. Stir until well combined. Add ½ cup more vegetable broth; stir to combine. Put the lid back on the slow cooker. Cook 30 more minutes on HIGH heat, stirring it HALFWAY (after 15 minutes) through the cooking time. When stirring, if it looks like almost all the liquid has already been absorbed, add a little more vegetable broth, as necessary. Cover slow cooker. Continue cooking for the remaining 15 minutes until the orzo is tender to the bite (take a tiny taste). If it needs a little bit more time to become tender, continue cooking 2-3 more minutes.
Take another quick bite to verify orzo tenderness; add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately, and garnish with sour cream, cilantro or avocado slices, if desired (optional). Enjoy!
NOTE: The caloric calculation is an estimate per SIDE SERVING, based on a total yield of 12 side dish servings.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards! 