Can I be honest with you for a moment? OK, thanks. The thing is, I have been dying to make a TRUE paella for years. I have picked up the paella pan in stores too many times to count, but for some reason, I just can’t bring myself to buy one. I think I am afraid of the process for some reason that I can’t explain. If anyone out there has a great, easy recipe please let me know. But until then, I made this casserole and it simply was to die for…
Paella Casserole
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 (10 ounce) package yellow rice (It's yellow because of the saffron-yummy!
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic-minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
shredded chicken from 1 rotisserie deli chicken
2 green onions-chopped
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup frozen peas-thawed
1/2 cup green olives-chopped
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese-shredded
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions. Remove from heat and let cool 30 minutes; fluff with a fork.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, toss shrimp with lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet on medium-high. Saute shrimp and garlic about 2 minutes, flipping shrimp in the middle and being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from the heat. Combine shredded chicken, cooked rice, onions, sour creams and peas in a large bowl; toss well. Add shrimp and olives; toss gently. Spoon rice mixture into a greased baking dish. Combine cheese and paprika and sprinkle over the casserole.
Bake, uncovered 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
adapted from Gooseberry Patch-103 Pot Pies & Casseroles
This recipe came out of a need to eat one night. Short on ingredients and not wanting to make a trip to the market, I saw this in a magazine and threw it together in no time. I thought I would share since you may like it as well and being that it isn’t breaded, fried chicken, it makes it a really light, healthy option…
Chicken Parmesan-Lightened Up
Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts-split in half lengthwise to be thinner
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic-grated
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown-about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan and cook, stirring, until melted-about 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and stir n 2 tablespoons basil; set aside.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper; add to the skillet and cook until golden and cooked through-about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water to the skillet. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon Parmesan; reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened-about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil and season with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken to the skillet, turning to coat with the sauce. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese, a pice of cheese on each piece of chicken and top with some breadcrumbs. Let simmer until the cheese melts-aobut 3 minutes. Serve with a salad.
adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2013
This is really just a fun way to use your favorite Chicken pot pie filling. I think it would be super cute for a bridal shower, but since we have none of those in the near future, I just made it on an ordinary weeknight and it was a huge hit…
Chicken Pot Pie Muffin Cups
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast-poached and diced small
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables-thawed
1 cup cheddar cheese-shredded
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 (20 ounce) cans refrigerator biscuits
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, blend the chicken, soup, vegetables, cheese and spices. Lightly spray 2 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. Roll our each biscuit until uniform and about 6 inches in diameter. Place into a muffin cup and mold it, forming a crust over the top of the edge of the tin. Spoon approximately 1/4 cup of the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits are browned and the soup is bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
I have my one trusty recipe that I ALWAYS use for pulled pork, but after perusing this recipe I just knew I had to give it a try. It’s official, this is my Number 2 favorite pulled pork...
Spicy Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
FOR THE MARINADE:
3 pounds pork loin roast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (6 ounce) can Coke
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
FOR COOKING:
1 (8 ounce) can Coke
1 (6 ounce) can sliced green chilies
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic power
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix together the salt, pepper, Coke and brown sugar. Place the roast in your crock pot, pour the liquid over it, cover and marinate in the refrigerator over night.
Take the pork out of the fridge and add 1/4 cup water to the marinade. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.
Drain all the liquids and shred the pork using two forks. Mix the remaining ingredients together, mix together with the shredded pork and return to the crock pot on LOW for 1 hour.
Growing up, we had a local pizza place that had the best Italian Fries EVER!! In fact, I’m not sure that I’ve ever had their pizza–only their Italian fries. This is a fairly close replica for those times when I’m craving that blast from the past…
Cheese Fries
Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated pizza dough
Olive oil for brushing the dough
2 cups mozzarella cheese-shredded
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Roll out the pizza dough and brush with olive oil. Top with mozzarella cheese, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.
Serve with marinara sauce or Ranch dressing--or both!