Trader Joe's Seafood Paella

Welcome to another edition of "I've had a long week and I need to pull something out of the freezer." In one of my most recent trips to Trader Joe's involved stocking up for what is turning out to be a crazy week. I love ordering Paella out, but there are 2 types of Paella. Real Paella and seafood with rice "paella." The later is totally fake. Trader Joe's Seafood Paella is pretty good for a freezer bag.

Well, I knew this wasn't going to be true Spanish restaurant quality, but when you've been out of the house for 12+hours, its fine. So here is Trader Joe's Seafood Paella:

Here is the nutritional information for everyone wondering. They said there are 2 servings in there. If you are planning on this being a dinner, it realistically serves one so please plan accordingly:

This was one of the items I was surprised by when I opened it up as an actual small bounty of seafood appeared for freezer meal standards.

Directions are simple. No microwave on this one. In a pan with a lid (I used a dutch oven), heat covered on high heat for 3-4 minutes.

Then cook uncovered for another 2 minutes or until your shrimp turn their cooked orangey hue and the rice is cooked through. Plated in a salad plate from Bed, Bath and Beyond, this is what it looked like for portion sizes:

Was it tasty? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes.

Would I bring it for lunch? No, it's not something that could or should ever be microwaved.

If allowed to cook a bit longer it might be possible to get that crunchy goodness that comes with the pieces at the bottom of a paella pan. For $4.99 there is a lot of value in Trader Joe's Seafood Paella. If you are a seafood lover who doesn't have time to cook, prep, or commit to a large tray of the homemade stuff, this was worthwhile. The seafood and veggies all had texture and the rice was tender without being wallpaper paste. This completely conformed to the picture on the package.

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.