I saw plenty of 20+ pound turkeys this year in the local Wegmans.
This is my family’s favorite recipe. We substitute leftover turkey for the chicken after Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is absolutely delicious! Hope you all enjoy it!
Arroz con Pollo
3 lb.Chicken, cut in 8 pieces (can substiture leftover Turkey, chicken breasts etc.)
½ cup Olive oil
2 cups Onion, chopped
1 clove of Garlic, crushed (we usually add a little extra)
½ teaspoon Crushed Red pepper )we usually double the amount of crushed red pepper)
2½ teaspoon Salt (we actually use half the salt because we add the olive juice later)
½ teaspoon Pepper
2 cups White rice, raw, converted
¼ teaspoon Saffron threads
1 can Tomatoes (1 lb.12 oz..) undrained
1 can Green chili pepper, chopped
1 can Chicken broth (10 ¾), undiluted
½ pkg. Peas frozen (10 oz. size)
½ cup Olives green, sliced Save Juice (we usually add ¾ - 1 cup of olives because we like them and the juice was a trick we learned from some Latin American friends)
1 jar Pimientos (4 oz.) sliced
1. Wipe chicken pieces with a damp paper towel.
2. In heavy, 6 quart Dutch over, heat olive oil. Brown chicken, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown all over. Remove chicken as it browns. Let it cool, remove bones and skin and tear meat into small bite size pieces. (If you prefer you can leave the chicken pieces whole but we like it without the skin and bones as it is easier to eat that way and is a bit lower in fat too.)
3. Preheat oven to 325° F. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper to Dutch oven. Sauté over medium heat, stirring, until golden (about 3 minutes)
4. Add salt, pepper, rice, and saffron to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring (about 10 minutes) until rice is lightly browned.
5. Add tomatoes, chili pepper, and chicken broth to Dutch oven, finally add chicken pieces. Bring to a boil. Bake, covered, (about 1 hour).
6. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of olive juice that you saved and stir it in. Sprinkle peas, olives, and pimiento strips over top. DO NOT STIR. Bake, covered, 20 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender and peas are cooked. Note if you have a lot of juice in the bottom of pot bake with cover off.
7. Serve hot, right from Dutch oven. Makes 6 servings.
Note: We usually make a double batch and transfer it to my large roaster pan before baking so we have plenty of room to stir it up before adding the peas and pimento and olives. Do not stir after adding them, as it looks prettier for serving that way.