Boxed Spanish Rice Made Better Recipes

BETTER THAN AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN SPANISH RICE

Steps:

• Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.
• Process rotel and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.
• Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY.
• Heat oil in heavy bottomed oven-safe straight sided 12" saute pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.
• Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, pureed mixture, corn and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
• Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes. Stir well after 15 minutes.
• Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.
• For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag.
• To reheat from frozen: Place in a covered pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

LEFTOVER RICE MADE INTO SPANISH RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat.
• Saute onion until soft.
• Add garlic and saute another minute.
• Add the rice and saute a couple more minutes.
• Add tomato sauce, water, and coriander.
• Stir and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce is absorbed and the rice has lost most of its stickiness.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

HOMEMADE (MADE FROM SCRATCH) SPANISH "RICE-A-RONI"

Steps:

• 1. Break noodles into 1/2" or 1" size pieces. (They don't have to be perfectly uniform.) In a non-stick skillet, lightly brown (but don't burn) the dry noodles in melted butter. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• 2. Add rice to boiling liquid and mix together. Mixture should boil for a minute or so.
• 3. Next: add can of crushed tomatoes, onion salt, garlic powder and tabasco (if using) to taste. Bring to a boil again for a moment.
• 4. Lower heat and cover pan; simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and almost gone. (You want to stir everything really good when you first put the lid on, but try not to resist the temptation to stir it too much during the simmering period. Just make sure your heat is pretty low.) If liquid does not get completely absorbed during cooking time, just leave lid on and simmer five or ten more minutes or until the liquid is fully absorbed.
• 5. Wait about 10 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Sprinkle a few dashes of pepper on top and serve.

BETTER SPANISH RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the chopped onion until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in the rice, tomatoes, cilantro, and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

SPANISH RICE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add rice; cook and stir until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.