Paulas Mexican Rice Recipes

PAULA'S MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Sauté onion, butter,celery.
• Add all other ingredients (except cheese); bring to boil, reduce, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed about 20 minutes.
• Transfer to serving dish and add cheese.

PAULA'S BEST CHICKEN AND RICE ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Spray a 3 1/2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add rice, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until rice is lightly browned.
• Stir in 2 cups water, diced tomatoes with green chiles, onion, and seasoning packet from rice mix.
• Bring to a boil over med-high heat.
• Decrease heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Spoon rice mixture into a large bowl.
• Add cream cheese to rice mixture, stirring until cheese melts.
• Add chicken, one 8 oz. package shredded Colby-Jack cheese, sour cream cumin, and chili powder; stir to combine.
• Arrange 1/3 of torn tortillas over bottom of prepared baking dish.
• Top with 1/3 of chicken mixture.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining package of Colby-Jack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese with peppers.
• Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese mixture over chicken mixture.
• Repeat layers twice with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese mixture.
• Pour enchilada sauce evenly over casserole.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the rice with enough very hot tap water to cover. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain again, shaking thoroughly. In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, and garlic and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary. Set aside.
• In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice turns a light golden color, about 10 minutes. Do not let it scorch. Add the tomato puree and fry, scraping the bottom of the pan to stop the mixture from sticking, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the chicken broth, carrots, zucchini, and giblets, if using. Stir in the salt and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the rice uncovered and undisturbed until almost all of the broth has evaporated and little air holes form in the surface. Cover the top of the pan with a towel and the lid, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes more, so that the rice can absorb the steam and swell. Just before serving, turn the rice over from the bottom so that the juices are redistributed.