Review: Zatarain’s Gluten Free Rice Mixes

Looking for some easy and affordable gluten free meals and side dishes? Zatarain’s offers 19 rice mixes – with more in development – that feature a gluten-free designation on the front of the product packaging, confirming that each rice mix has been formulated as gluten-free and the production systems and processes have been validated to ensure the finished rice mixes are free of gluten. These rice mixes – including favorites like jambalaya, dirty rice and yellow rice – are the same flavorful products people already know and love, but with a gluten-free seal now displayed on the package.

Zatarain’s sent me 3 different mixes to actually try out and I decided that I would experiment with some of their great sounding recipes. Each box has a recipe or add in ideas on it, and they have quite a few recipes posted in the Gluten Free section on their website. It would only take a few minutes to make the mixes as a side dish, but I found that the three main dishes I made were very simple and delicious as well and really took no extra time at all. I’ll be sending the Zatarain’s website and a few boxes of rice to my gluten free college kids as well. These meals are perfect to help the non-gourmet cook feel like one!

First I tried the New Orleans Style Dirty Rice Mix (Click for ingredients, nutrition info, etc.) I jazzed it up with about a pound of leftover baked ham and turned it into a main dish in 25 minutes! I’m not super familiar with New Orleans style cuisine, but I was pleasantly surprised at the spicy, but not too spicy flavor of this rice. The box says to use ground beef, but ham is what I had to use and it was fabulous!

Next I tried the New Orleans Style Yellow Rice Mix (Click for ingredients, nutrition info, etc.) The recipe on the back of the box looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try. It’s the Creole Rice Dressing. It calls for a few ingredients that must be found in a gluten free version, such as corn bread mix and chicken stock, but it’s very doable. I had Pamela’s Corn Bread Mix and Joan’s Gluten Free frozen corn bread on hand, so I went with the Joan’s since the recipe called for it to be prepared and Joan’s is a dough in it’s own little dish and just needed to be popped in the oven for a few minutes while I prepared the rest. Garlic, sausage, onions, celery, spices, butter and eggs added to the rice and corn bread. This came out like a casserole because of the eggs and less like a dressing. It was hearty and flavorful and pretty amazing! I’ll definitely be making this again!

Next, I purused Zatarain’s Gluten Free recipe section on thier website and went with the Jambalaya Breakfast Casserole. Instead of ham, I used sausage along with cheese, pepper, onions, eggs, cheese and Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Jambalaya Rice Mix (Click for ingredients, nutrition info, etc.) Outstanding! I would have never imagined that a breakfast recipe with rice would be so great and unusual, although I would probably serve it for a brunch, lunch or even dinner, though. We had it for dinner and then again for breakfast and wanted more! It resembled a quiche in texture, but had that unique New Orleans style flavor that is new to me, but I enjoyed it very much. The recipe called for Jack Cheese, and that was great, but I think I’ll try sharp cheddar next time.

Next up will be Gluten Free Dulac Dirty Rice with ground beef, raisins, pecans, bacon and green onions. Yum!

Visit Zatarain’s Gluten Free Section here.

Gluten Freeville Product Reviews: Products are either purchased by us or sent to us for sampling. If we don’t LOVE it, you won’t see it reviewed here. No money is ever accepted in exchange for a product review. The sole purpose of our product reviews is to introduce you to great new products we have found as a resource to you, the reader. (Note: Zatarain’s is a current Gluten Freeville advertiser)