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A homemade 30-minute, $10 meal for six made with perfectly seasoned Spanish rice cooked with ham steak that's easy to prepare and so delicious!
Whew, that was a lot of descriptive words to fit in one heading! But there are so many truly great things about this recipe, I had to make sure y'all got it all at a glance!
There aren't too many meals out there that tick all these boxes but this one does AND it's scrumptious! Like, I crave it sometimes.
I love the rice cooked in the tomatoey broth and I especially love the bites of ham throughout! Each bite is like a perfect storm for me and there's just enough spice to keep things interesting!
6 REASONS I LOVE THIS RECIPE
- HOMEMADE - it's 100% homemade with no canned soup or shortcut ingredients.
- AFFORDABLE - the total for this meal was $9.37 (including a 1.37-lb ham steak for $5.75) and makes 6 generous servings (or 8 for smaller appetites).
- QUICK - if you prepare this like the instructions indicate (dicing the veggies while the ham browns, measuring spices while veggies cook), you can get this done in 30 minutes!
- VARIATIONS - You can use smoked sausage, kielbasa, andouille, bacon or any sort of ham. You can add celery and/or add other seasonings.
- BAKED OPTION - It won't be a 30-minute meal but you can also cook this in the oven (see below).
- CLEAN & COMPLETE - I love recipes like this that finish on their own. While the rice cooks, I spend those 20 minutes cleaning the kitchen and setting the table. Then, when supper's done, I can throw the tableware in the dishwasher and call 'er a day!
This dish is very similar to my recipe for Charleston Red Rice. You can read more about it at the link, but Charleston Red Rice is a kissing cousin to Spanish Rice.
I bake my Charleston Red Rice (and you can bake this too, see below) but wanted to make this recipe into something that's quicker to prepare for those busy weeknights!
This also reminds me a LOT of one of my all-time favorite recipes EVER (that not enough of my Southern neighbors have tried but SHOULD because you'd LOVE IT), Mediterranean Chickpeas & Rice. Please, y'all, try it after you make this one!
INGREDIENTS FOR SPANISH RICE WITH HAM
- Ham steak
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Olive oil & butter
- Garlic
- Long-grain rice
- Diced tomatoes
- Salt & spices
HOW TO BAKE SPANISH RICE WITH HAM
- Reduce water to 2.25 cups. Because of the slower cooking in a sealed dish, you'll only need 2.25 cups of water (vs. 3 in the stovetop version).
- Pour everything into a 3-quart shallow baking dish after Step 6 (in the recipe card below). Double-wrap dish tightly with foil then bake at 375 for 45 minutes*.
*Rice should could fine in 45 minutes so long as you go straight to the oven from Step 6 in the recipe card (bringing everything to a boil). If mixture cools too much before going into the oven, you may need to cook for 1 full hour.
A FEW NOTES WORTH READING
- I add the liquid from the package of ham to the rice (I let it drain into the measuring cup I'll use to measure the water). It's only a couple tablespoons but it's packed with flavor so I use it!
- I also cook the bone in the rice for extra flavor. Then Mr. Boozy and Mama argue about which one gets the bone.
- One ham steak yields about 3 cups of 1/2-inch cubed pieces.
- You'll need a large skillet with a fitted lid or Dutch oven to make this recipe.
- Feel free to use smoked sausage, kielbasa, andouille, bacon or another type of ham.
- I prefer the petite diced tomatoes because I like the smaller size of the tomato pieces but you can use regular.
- I've only ever made this with extra long-grain rice (what's most common here in the South) so I can't tell you what adjustments you'll need to make for jasmine or basmati (they cook quicker and need less liquid) or how to make this with instant or brown rice.
MORE AFFORDARBLE FAMILY-SIZED 30-MINUTE MEALS
3-Ingredient Sausage Goulash - A super simple meal using Italian sausage, macaroni noodles and tomato soup makes the easiest American-style goulash the whole family will love.
Creamy Chicken Pasta - A 30-minute skillet dinner with bite-sized pieces of perfectly seasoned chicken and noodles tossed in an easy, creamy pan sauce.
Helpful Hamburger Stroganoff - A family-size recipe for ground beef stroganoff like homemade Hamburger Helper that’s quick, easy and surprisingly delicious!
Southern Fried Potatoes & Sausage - A simple budget-friendly recipe for a one-pan skillet meal with smoked sausage, onions and southern-style fried potatoes.
Really Easy Homemade Chili - A thick and hearty chili recipe with ground beef and the perfect amount of beans and spices for the best pot of chili around!
TIPS FOR COOKING RICE
Cooking rice can be challenging for some folks but here are a few way to ensure yours comes out great every time!
- Measure rice in measuring cups (for dry ingredients) not measuring pitchers (for liquid ingredients). There is actually a slight variance in the two plus its easy to overfill the measuring pitchers. That slight variance can make a huge difference.
- Measure cooking liquid with measuring pitchers as they are much more accurate for liquid ingredients.
- Find the right temperature. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat so that you have a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). This will be different for everyone's stove so I can't tell you an exact setting.
- Only stir with a fork and make sure to scrape the bottom when stirring.
- Don't over-stir. Stirring too much can yield mushy or mealy rice. Only stir a few times the first 10-15 minutes of cooking then don't stir it at all. Every time you lift the lid to stir, steam escapes, reducing both the heat and liquid in the pan.
- Make sure you have a tight-fitting lid. If you notice a lot of steam escaping from the lid, you may have to add a few tablespoons of water the first 10 minutes of cooking.
Recipe for Spanish Rice with Ham
Spanish Rice with Ham
A homemade 30-minute, $10 meal for six made with perfectly seasoned Spanish rice cooked with ham steak that's easy to prepare and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 ham steak
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups extra long-grain rice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Cut ham steak into 1/2-inch cubes then cook with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until browned. 1 ham steak, 3 Tbsp oil
- While ham is browning, dice/mince onion, bell pepper and garlic. 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 3 garlic cloves
- Once browned, remove ham from skillet using a slotted spoon. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to pan then sauté 2 minutes.
- While veggies are cooking, measure out your spices. 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp each oregano & thyme, 1/4 tsp red pepper,
- Add rice, butter, diced tomatoes (with juice) and remaining ingredients, stir then bring to a boil over high heat. Taste for seasoning then add more if you'd like. 2 c. rice, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 can tomatoes, spices, 3 c. water
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low (or wherever your stove gets you a gentle simmer) then cook, covered 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir with a fork occasionally the first 15 minutes of cooking then let the rice cook undisturbed the last 5 minutes.
Notes
- You'll need a large skillet with a fitted lid or Dutch oven to make this recipe.
- One ham steak yields about 3 cups of 1/2-inch cubed pieces.
- Feel free to use smoked sausage, kielbasa, andouille, bacon or another type of ham.
- I prefer petite diced tomatoes but you can use regular.
- I've only ever made this with extra long-grain rice so I can't tell you how to make this with jasmine, basmati, instant or brown rice.
- Feel free to add diced celery with the onions and peppers.
- See article above for tips, answers to other questions and how to bake this in the oven.
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