Paella Casserole: A fun twist to dinner!

This post is sponsored by No Yolks® but all opinions are my own. 

This Paella Casserole is exciting and crave-worthy!!! A zesty twist on Paella with the flavors of spicy sausage, succulent shrimp with No Yolks® tossed in a light, yet flavorful sauce made with peppers, onions and tomatoes and seasoned with paprika and saffron.

Casseroles have come a long way and this one is a sassy-full, filling meal with all of the flavors you love and want for dinner. When you want something a little special and full of flavor in the past you’ve loved our Spicy Asiago Shrimp Mac and Cheese and our Gouda Macaroni and cheese and now you’ll have this sassy casserole to add to your dinner rotation!

Today’s recipe is near and dear to my heart. With cooking at home so much more this year, I find we want bold flavors and things that are a little out of the ordinary.

I was thrilled to be asked to work with No Yolks® as we have their product in my pantry regularly.

We love them and especially love that they are the perfect thing to add to casseroles. With all of the cooking we do these days, casseroles are a great way to make full- flavor and unique meals (not boring as I remember as a kid) to keep dinner exciting and fresh!

I’m thrilled to partner with No Yolks® to share a recipe you can use for an exciting weeknight dinner or a special occasion meal that is not only delicious but is easy, full of zesty flavor and loaded with great ingredients. All opinions, as always, are my own. 

This Paella Casserole is a great way to feed a big family or small dinner party very economically. You can serve it for special occasions because its filled with quality ingredients with the shrimp and chorizo along with the No Yolks® in a light flavorful sauce that everyone will enjoy.

Added bonus— it can be made all in one pan so not only is it a delicious and filling meal but it’s also an easy clean-up!

I love the No Yolks® Broad for this recipe. They are made with egg whites giving them a fluffy smooth texture and they can be used in any casserole and will complement the dish with its tasty, butter flavor.

Casseroles often get a bad rap of being boring but today’s recipe is not that at all. It’s loaded with so many great flavors and delicious ingredients your family will be asking for it on a regular basis!

These day’s I’ve made it my mission to do everything the easy way.

I ordered the ingredients through Walmart’s OPD (Online Pick-up and Delivery.) It was super easy to use the app to place my order for everything: No Yolks® Broad, chorizo, shrimp, and all the pantry items.

I drove up, let them know I was there and they brought the order out and placed it in my car. Talk about easy and stress-free. You can find them online here!

Shopping List

• No Yolks® Broad – they also offer extra broad which would work too!
• Olive Oil- I used a mild olive oil so the flavor was a little tamed
• Chorizo Sausage– you could use spicy Italian sausage if you can’t find Chorizo
• Red Pepper
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Peas
• Garlic
• Paprika
• Saffron Threads While its a little pricy it will keep for a long time and worth the flavor boost and color it gives to the dish
• Tomato Paste
• Wine (dry white– Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio will work
• Chicken Broth
• Shrimp— I suggest the larger size 21-25 count- you can sub other sizes, but I like the presentation with a big juicy shrimp
• Parmesan Cheese
• Parsley (optional for garnish)
• Lemon (optional for squeezing at the last minute)

Everything to make this are common ingredients you either have in your pantry or can easily find. The one ingredient I’m asked most about is the Saffron Threads.

What are saffron threads? Why are they so expensive?

Saffron is from a flower and each flower in the center produces three of these threads we call saffron threads.

It takes 50,000 flowers to get a pound of threads and they need to be harvested in a short time window. They are still harvested by hand which is why they are a little pricy.

Why spend the money? They give a great color and offer a subtle flavor that really boosts any recipe they are used it.

It’s worth purchasing them for the flavor and since it takes very few threads in a recipe if your store them in an airtight container they will last a very long time.

Making Paella Casserole the easy way

Tips for making the Paella

When preparing the No Yolks® Broad follow the directions on the package. I took their suggestion for adding salt to the water to prevent stickiness in them. It made it easy for them to separate and not be clumpy.

Don’t worry that the sausage isn’t completely cooked through when you first cook it, it will finish up when being baked in the oven.

If you don’t want to have a lot of dishes to clean up, use an oven-proof skillet like a cast iron skillet to make the casserole in and go ahead and serve it directly from the skillet.

Using larger shrimp gives a great presentation. Bigger shrimp just scream elegance in dining! You can save money on shrimp by buying them when they are on sale and keeping them in the freezer handy whenever you want to serve them.

The recipe is easily customizable to what you can find at the market which is super helpful these days. For example, you could add chicken or use other shellfish like clams and mussels like traditional paella too.

Common Questions in making this recipe:

Can I make the Paella Casserole ahead of time? This recipe can absolutely be made ahead of time. Make it completely. You’ll want to let it completely cool before covering it and placing it into the fridge until about an hour before you want to serve it. Let it come to room temp (about 30 mins,) then bake until warmed throughout.

How long with this keep? We don’t have many leftovers unless I double the recipe but it can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You may need to add a little chicken broth or even a little milk if it is a little dry after a couple of days when you are rewarming it.

Can I freeze this Paella Casserole? You can freeze this easily. Keep it in a sealed container. You’ll need to let it thaw completely before warming it to eat.

What can I substitute for wine in this recipe? You can use 1/3 cup of additional broth along with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a teaspoon of dijon mustard in place of the wine in this recipe.

More Flavorful Casseroles you might enjoy!

• Spicy Asiago Mac n Cheese with Shrimp
• Chicken Divan with Curry Casserole so much flavor!
• Taco Goulash Pasta ~ all the things you love about tacos in your pasta!
• Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta ~ yep! A mix of two of your favorites!

Hashtag any recipes you make from West Via Midwest #westviamidwestrecipes or tag me @michele_westviamidwest on Instagram to be featured on our stories!  

Yield: 6

Classic Paella Casserole Recipe

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With all the flavors of classic paella, this twist is served with noodles instead of rice for a flavorful and delicious meal. Made with chorizo, shrimp and all the paella spices you know and love. Can be made in one pan for easy clean-up.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pkg (12 oz) No Yolks® Broad
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 oz cured chorizo sausage, diced into small pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced, seeds and stems removed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp, tail removed (21 to 25 count)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. (use salt when boiling the pasta to reduce stickiness.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat; cook sausage, onion, red pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes or until sausage starts to brown and vegetables are slightly softened.
4. Stir in the paprika and saffron; cook for 1 minute.
5. Stir in tomato paste, cook for 1 minute.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
   
7. Stir in wine and allow it to come to a boil. Stir in the chicken broth and return to boil; cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
8. Fold in pasta, shrimp, tomatoes and peas until well combined and the sauce mixed in evenly.
9. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
10. Transfer to greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
11. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through and casserole is heated through. Sprinkle with parsley; serve with lemon wedges.
    

Notes

If you want a one-pan meal, cook in an ovenproof skillet and bake it right in the skillet. Serve right from the skillet.

If you want a little creamier sauce add 1/3 cup heavy cream to the sauce right before adding into the pasta.

Non Alcoholic option- Omit the whine and substitute 1/3 cup additional broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 230mgSodium: 1709mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 31g

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. Please calculate your own nutritional information if you want it exact to what you make and use my calculations as a guide only.

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