Arroz con Maiz Recipe – An Original Thanksgiving Side Dish Cuban-style
Thanksgiving with my big, fat, Cuban family is usually a very typical American feast. But because my family has so many amazing cooks, we’re often trying new recipes and sometimes we like to put a spin on some old classics.
Our turkeys have run the gamut from deep-fried to classically oven-baked to (my favorite) the Guavalicious Bird.
I started mentally listing the side dishes we usually enjoy with our Thanksgiving turkey:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Stuffing
- Green Bean Casserole
- Sweet Potatoes
- Cranberries
- Corn
And as much as I love these foods and the lovely blending of these flavors with the turkey, I sometimes crave the familiar. By that I mean something that starts with a sofrito, of course.
So I opted to take a traditional Thanksgiving side dish (corn) and added a Cuban spin to it. (Because I can.)
That’s right. This year, our Thanksgiving table will be graced by a big, fat, pot of Arroz con Maiz (that’s Rice with Corn for those of you who dimly remember Spanish 101).
Arroz con Maiz Recipe – Cuban-style
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 envelope Goya Sazón con Azafran
- 1/4 cup white cooking wine
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup canned corn, drained
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Be careful not to brown them.
- Add the tomato sauce and bay leaves, cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir well.
- Add the Goya seasoning, white cooking wine, and stock, stirring to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the corn and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Cover the pan and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy.
- Taste the rice, adding salt & pepper to taste.
Buen Provecho and Happy Thanksgiving!
