Our Best Rice & Grain Recipes

We can’t stop making them.

A bowl of warm rice pudding is like a comforting hug on a dark, dreary day. It’s fragrant, creamy but not too rich, subtly sweet, and easily adaptable to your taste, whether you feel like a sprinkling of cinnamon or some plump, chewy raisins. And it truly is one of the easiest puddings you can ever make, starting with a short ingredient list of kitchen staples with infinite customization possibilities.

Recently I was walking my younger brother through the basics of homemade granola. Over the phone, he lamented that most recipes felt too fussy and ingredient-heavy for the simple, not-too-sweet, easy granola he craved.Basic (but very good) granola requires just a handful of ingredients: rolled oats, a sweetener, some cooking oil, and maybe nuts or dried fruit. Once you master this basic formula, it’s easy to customize a mix for your own preferences.

Lift it from its side-dish status and bring it to the center of the plate.

Have you heard of porcupine meatballs? They’re an old-school dish that are ready for a comeback. (You heard it here first!) Despite their rather funny name, porcupine meatballs are just beef meatballs made with white rice that get slowly cooked in a simple tomato sauce. The resulting meatballs are tender, flavorful, and perfect for serving on top of mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or honestly, more rice.

“Red beans and rice on Monday” is one of the dependable workday cornerstones of New Orleans cuisine, a hearty dish rooted in the city’s 300-year history. Originally an ingenious, low-maintenance way to feed a house on pre-machine laundry day, “red beans and rice” worked its way into classic status through the region’s home, restaurant, and lunchroom menus.

The 1-ingredient dressing is an absolute fridge staple.

Meet your new favorite side.

If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be jollof rice. It’s the first thing I reach for at every Nigerian function, and it’s probably the dish I cook for myself most often at home. The rice is cooked in a mixture of blended tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic, as well as stock and plenty of herbs and seasonings, and all of the delicious flavors infuse into the rice as it cooks.

It’s worth every minute of stirring.

Plus, it’s endlessly customizable.

Ripe, golden mangoes are key.

So crispy.

A jar of marinara does it again.

Quinoa has come a long way — all the way from the back shelves of health food stores to national supermarket aisles. Its high protein content, sweet and nutty flavor, and delicate texture have made quinoa a popular whole grain substitute for starchier pasta and rice (although once you try it, you’re not likely to think of it as a “substitute” again!). Nutty quinoa is an easy grain to love, and it’s one of the most delicious, fast-cooking pantry staples we know.

As the weather warms and the summer months draw closer, my breakfast routine is one of the first things to change. I make the switch from hot coffee to iced coffee, and I swap my warm bowl of oatmeal for a pre-packed jar of refreshingly creamy overnight oats. I highly suggest you do the same.Overnight oats are the easy, healthy breakfast you’ll always feel good about eating.

For Parmesan lovers everywhere.

Couscous has got to be one of the most underrated pantry staples in the kitchen arsenal. Made from semolina wheat, couscous is nutty, sweet, and versatile – it also happens to be incredibly quick-cooking.Along with quinoa, rice, and a cohort of pasta in varying shapes, do yourself a huge favor and always have a stash of couscous in stock. Once you do, you’re always at the start line of making a nearly endless marathon of quick and easy meals and side dishes.

A quick skillet of fried rice is one of the easiest, most satisfying ways to transform leftover rice into a complete meal. Here, we’ve added crumbles of ground pork, a couple of eggs, and whatever vegetable you’ve got in the freezer to create a winning dinner the whole family will enjoy. Here’s how to make it. It only takes 15 minutes to make. From start to finish, this pork fried rice takes about 15 minutes to cook for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.

Honestly, we eat it at every family gathering.

It’s always in heavy rotation.

It’s the San Francisco treat you can make at home.

Among the recipes that friends and family ask about most frequently – including how to make a proper pot of rice, how to boil eggs perfectly, or how to cook perfect chicken breast every time – how to make a decent pot of oatmeal is always up there on the list. It seems that every home cook is chasing that elusive ideal pot of oatmeal: thick but not mushy, and fluffy but not chewy.

My go-to rice dish.

!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.src='javascript:false'; t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js?cid=5a181d3d-61b4-4809-ac6a-b49e807258e9&pid=c78a85b8-2683-4ce5-a385-24dbe1c9331c',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document); (new Image()).

It’s so well-balanced.

There are so many ways to use it.

It's all about knowing the right ratio for the best texture.

It’s ready in just 30 minutes!

And it’s ready in just 20 minutes.

It’s a must-try!

Two words: Fried rice.

It cooks in less than 10 minutes.

Don’t forget to fluff it.

It's a match made in heaven.

You can prep it in just 10 minutes.

It cooks in less than 10 minutes.

It’s the most flexible recipe ever.

This vegetable jambalaya is faster and just as good, in my opinion, as traditional jambalaya (which typically has andouille sausage, chicken and/or seafood). With the “holy trinity” of vegetables, juicy tomatoes, and long-grain rice, this is a fantastic main dish (with some optional add-ins, if you want) or a hearty side dish to serve alongside your favorite main.

And good fortune!

They could barely wait to get their hands on this recipe.

Tastes as good as it smells.

It’s ready in less than an hour.

I promise — this will be the best fried rice you'll ever make.

Meet the anytime meal of your dreams.