Cooking Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply browned and caramelized. Stir in the sugar during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. If using, pour in the sherry or wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Add the cut chicken pieces and the uncooked orzo to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Cover the skillet and cook on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the orzo is mostly cooked and the chicken is nearly done. Remove the bay leaf.
• Stir in the heavy cream and ½ cup of the Gruyère cheese until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish if you did not use an oven-safe skillet.
• In a small bowl, mix the remaining ½ cup Gruyère cheese with the panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly throughout. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.