With no saffron, chorizo, clams, etc., obviously this is a poor man’s (or maybe poor housewife’s) paella. But its an easy and delicious recipe that can be thrown together in hurry.
Plus its filling, inexpensive, and can feed a hungry crowd. Use a rotisserie chicken to cut down on prep time. The shrimp cook up in a flash, so really the most time-consuming part of this recipe is cooking the rice.
Sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese add creaminess and turn this Spanish inspired dish into a down home casserole. Go light on the olives if your kids don’t like them. They probably find the peas objectionable enough.
Party Paella
- 2 (8-oz) packages yellow Spanish rice
- 1 lb. peeled and deveined medium shrimp
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 rotisserie chicken, meat coarsely shredded
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1 (8-oz) container of sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 3/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
- Prepare rice according to package directions. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes. Fluff with fork.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile toss shrimp with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Saute shrimp and garlic in skillet just until shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, rice, sour cream, green onions, and peas. Mix well. Add in shrimp and olives and gently fold in. Spoon into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle with cheese and smoked paprika.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Southern Living
Twitter