I’m kicking off February with one of our family’s favorite recipes: Sheet Pan Paella. Longtime followers will remember this one. It is not a traditional paella by any means. Instead, it is paella-inspired and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
You can use regular smoked sausage or andouille if you like a little spice. For shrimp, frozen is usually the way to go, and it thaws quickly while you’re prepping the other ingredients. We really like the Argentinian red shrimp from Trader Joe’s.
I usually have frozen rice on hand, but fresh also works fine. I rely on my rice cooker to do the work because I hate cooking rice on the stovetop.
Like many of you, I have teenagers, which means that we often eat dinner at different times. Sheet Pan Paella is great for those nights because the first round of diners can eat and then pop the sheet pan back into the oven on WARM for the later crew. It’s also really good the next day if you happen to have leftovers or want to make it in advance.
Sheet Pan Paella
12-14 oz smoked or andouille sausage (1 package), sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 a medium sized onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 T tomato paste
5 T olive oil
2 t smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (we like the Argentinian red shrimp from Trader Joe’s)
3-4 cups cooked rice
1 pinch saffron (Trader Joe’s has the best price)
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil (for easier cleanup).
In a large bowl, combine sausage, bell pepper, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread mixture evenly over the sheet pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
While the sausage mixture is baking, using the same bowl, combine shrimp, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add this to the sausage mixture. Spread evenly over the sheet pan, and bake for 5 minutes.
While that is baking, using the same bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of saffron. Add the cooked rice, and stir well until rice is fully coated. Add rice to the sausage and shrimp mixture. Combine well, and spread evenly over the sheet pan. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until shrimp is fully cooked.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley, and enjoy!
