I love a good paella like anyone but cooking dishes from scratch isn't an option on many days and that's when a frozen dinner comes in handy. 

Frozen dinners get a really bad rap because they're often loaded with calories, calcium and taste rather bland. I assure you, this frozen dinner is none of those things.

With a frozen dinner like this, it was very easy to customize it and make it my own with just a few modifications that took this dish from a frozen dinner to a gourmet dish.

Let's begin, shall we?

Ingredients:

1.  1 package of Trader Joe's Seafood Paella
2. One medium onion, chopped lengthwise
3. One scotch bonnet pepper, minced - skip this if you can't handle the heat.
4. 3 medium bell peppers, chopped lengthwise
5. A dash of cayenne pepper - if you like it extra hot
6. Paprika & salt for extra flavor

Steps:

• Prepare your mise-en-place by chopping the veg and setting aside the ingredients.
• Heat a cast-iron pan and add two tablespoons of canola oil or olive oil.
• Saute the veggies in the pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.

• Add the frozen paella to the mix, and make the heat a bit lower.

• Cook the paella covered for about 5-10 minutes while tasting to ensure that the rice is cooked. If the rice is still crunchy after the cooking time, add a few drops of water and cover the pot while cooking on low heat.
• Once the rice is soft and fluffy, add the paprika, cayenne and sprinkle of salt while cooking on a low heat for an additional 2-5 minutes.

• Stir well & serve.
• Optional: Top with a runny fried egg for an extra fancy experience.

Just like that, we have gone from frozen to gourmet!

Enjoy & leave a comment below if you try  it!

love & light,

Rachel