For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly oil it. Place the diced bread into a large mixing bowl, pour the warm water over it, and let it soak submerged for at least 5 minutes.

Heat a 12” skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once it melts, stir in the minced shallot and garlic, cooking for about a minute until softened. Mix in the granulated garlic and red pepper flakes, then turn off the heat.

In the bowl with the soaked bread, add ground chicken, parmesan, sage, parsley, salt, and the shallot mixture. Mix until combined, forming approximately 15 (2 oz) meatballs and placing them on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with additional olive oil and bake on the top rack for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

For the orzo, wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Melt the butter and add the sage leaves, allowing them to crisp while the butter browns. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a paper towel.

Add shallots to the browned butter, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes, then stir in the orzo. Pour in the white wine and add thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in chicken stock, bring to a simmer again, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 6 more minutes, stirring often.

Incorporate the heavy cream, spinach, and parmesan. Allow the cream to simmer as the spinach wilts and the parmesan melts while stirring continuously. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed and remove the thyme sprigs.

Serve the chicken meatballs over the orzo. Garnish with crispy sage, cracked black pepper, additional parmesan, and any extra chopped parsley & thyme leaves.