Crockpot Sausage Orzo with Burst Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

Recipe Key:

No ratings yet

Creamy orzo, a subtle goat cheese tang, and little bursts of tomato in every bite. That’s what you get with this one, and the crockpot does almost all the work. You dump in chicken sausage, grape tomatoes, onion, and broth and let it go until the tomatoes burst. Then you stir in the orzo and a small log of goat cheese for the last half hour. Dinner is thick, creamy, and ready for 8 – 10 people.

A bowl of creamy pasta with sliced sausages, garnished with fresh herbs and served with a fork.

Goat cheese heaven ✨

If you’ve made the viral baked feta pasta, you already know melty cheese and pasta is a winning combination. This is my crockpot version, with a goat cheese twist. I make my goat cheese pasta in the oven all the time because it’s so simple. But I wanted something even more hands-off, a dinner I can walk away from while I’m on school pickup, shuttling kids to after-school activities, or running errands. This is that recipe!

A woman with long red hair, wearing a brown sweater and jeans, smiles while standing in a modern kitchen beside a counter with fresh lettuce and hibachi steak bowls. Marble backsplash and gold kitchen accents are visible in the background.
A person sits cross-legged in a meditation pose with their hands resting on their knees, peacefully imagining delicious hibachi steak bowls. The simple black outline contrasts against a white background.

If you’re cooking along with Crock-tober, my crockpot sausage tortellini is the saucier cousin of this one. If chicken is more your speed, the creamy crockpot Marry Me chicken orzo is the move. Want this flavor combo as a soup? Try my tomato orzo soup with spicy chicken sausage.

Ingredients & Notes

  • Chicken sausage - I used AmyLu but any chicken sausage will work. Use fully cooked sausage so you just slice it into coins and dump it in.
  • Grape tomatoes - They burst on their own as they slow cook. Any that don’t will pop with a fork or in your mouth!
  • Goat cheese - This is where all the creaminess comes from. I like the garlic and herb kind because it does double duty as seasoning.
  • Orzo - I used gluten-free orzo. It goes in at the end, so it cooks to tender instead of turning to mush over six hours.
  • Chicken broth - Use low-sodium so you can adjust the saltiness yourself. Any type of broth will work.

How to Make Crockpot Sausage & Orzo

A slow cooker filled with colorful cherry tomatoes, chopped onions, and sausage seasoned with herbs.
Step 1 ; Add the sausage, onions, tomatoes, to the crockpot and cook low and slow.
A block of herb-speckled cream cheese sitting atop a mixture of fresh cherry tomatoes and chopped onions in a slow cooker.
Step 2 : Add the goat cheese log and nestle it under the liquid.
Slow cooker filled with a creamy broth containing orzo pasta, cherry tomatoes, and sliced sausage.
Step 3 : Add the orzo and more broth and cook until soft.
A creamy dish with sliced sausages in a slow cooker.
Step 4 : Give everything a big stir and serve warm.

Tips

  • Switch to HIGH for the orzo, even if the first stage cooked on LOW. On LOW it won’t get tender.
  • Stir to coat every piece of orzo in liquid when it goes in. Dry orzo on top won't cook properly.
  • Adjust the broth to your texture. Add more for something closer to soup, or use less for a scoopable, casserole-style orzo.
  • Give it a big stir at the end. That’s what melts the goat cheese into the sauce.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to eat reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Add a splash of water or broth to help loosen up the sauce.

Check out these recipes for more weeknight recipes


PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!


Recipe

Creamy pasta with sliced sausage and herbs in a patterned bowl, with a fork resting on the side.

Crockpot Sausage Orzo with Burst Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

Crockpot sausage orzo for busy weeknights! Dump chicken sausage, and veggies in the slow cooker, add orzo and goat cheese at the end, and stir. Yum!
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 357kcal

Equipment

  • 1 crockpot

Ingredients
 
 

  • 24 oz chicken sausage - sliced into ½-inch coins (I used AmyLu)
  • 24 oz grape tomatoes
  • 1 yellow onion - diced
  • 4 cups chicken broth - divided, low-sodium
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 oz goat cheese - garlic and herb recommended
  • 12 oz orzo - use gluten-free orzo to keep it gluten-free

Instructions

  • Add the chicken sausage, grape tomatoes, onion, 2 cups of the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and sea salt to the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 – 6 hours or HIGH for 2 – 3 hours, until the tomatoes burst.
    24 oz chicken sausage, 24 oz grape tomatoes, 1 yellow onion, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp sea salt
  • Switch the crockpot to HIGH. Nestle the goat cheese log into the liquid, then add the orzo on top. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of broth and stir so every piece of orzo is coated in liquid.
    4 oz goat cheese, 12 oz orzo
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 – 30 minutes, until the orzo is soft and tender.
  • Stir well to melt the goat cheese into the sauce. Pop any whole tomatoes with a fork if you like. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 1459mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1022IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating