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24 Recipes That Make the Grains in Your Pantry Exciting
Written by: Caitlin O’Malley
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Published on: September 22, 2022
Grains are affordable, shelf-stable, and incredibly versatile. At first glance, they may not be the most thrilling item in your pantry, but what grains lack in pizzazz, they more than make up for in flavor, nutrients, and culinary range. These are the recipes that get us excited about cooking with grains.
Oats
Homemade Granola Bars
A tasty breakfast and after-school or midday snack.
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Savory Oats with Mushrooms and Egg
Brimming with savory flavors: rich chicken stock, earthy mushrooms, and salty-umami seaweed.
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Coconut Butter Oatmeal
We doubled down on the coconut flavor here, using coconut sugar as a sweetener and coconut butter to add richness.
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Millet
Millet “Falafel” with Avocado + Tomato Relish
Make the relish while the millet is cooking to allow all the flavors to meld together.
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Sardine, Avocado, and Crunchy Veggie Millet Bowl
The millet makes a filling base for a lunch bowl and adds textural contrast to the crunchy bok choy. Sardines and avocados pack this dish with micronutrients and sensible fats. And it’s all topped with salty furikake.
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Rice
Crispy-Rice Sushi
All the freshness of sushi gets ramped up with a crispy-rice base.
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Greekish Wild Rice Bowl
Wild rice isn’t Greek, but it adds heft and gives the bowl a nutty counterpart to the briny olives and artichokes.
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Eggplant and Chickpea Rice with Cilantro and Yogurt
This dish comes together quickly and easily and scratches the itch of weeknight takeout. And it takes care of those leftover greens in your fridge.
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Jambalaya
Be sure to scrape all the good bits off the baking sheet and save the crunchy edges for someone you really like.
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Chicken Larb Bowl with Coconut Rice
The sticky, sweet coconut rice is the perfect foil for the spicy, tangy, savory larb.
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Green Paella
Resist the temptation to stir the rice once it starts cooking and you will be rewarded with the prized crispy bottom, called socarrat. It’s heaven.
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Buckwheat
Californian Grain Bowl
Grain bowls have become a staple throughout California—they’re a great way to showcase seasonal bounty, and this breakfast version is a cozy start to the day.
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Buckwheat-Stuffed Peppers with Tahini Dressing
Charred peppers plus nutty buckwheat and creamy tahini dressing makes for a dream dinner.
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Quinoa
Sweet Potato, Quinoa, and Kale Salad
Fresh mint and toasted sesame seeds add nice depth to two of our favorite ingredients, sweet potato and kale.
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Quinoa-Stuffed Kabocha Squash
Creamy squash, hearty greens, and quinoa are good on their own, but the briny anchoïade takes them to another level.
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Faux Bibimbap with Crispy Quinoa
We took inspiration from the traditional Korean dish bibimbap. It translates to “mixed rice”; we gathered our favorite bits and bobs we had in the test kitchen and mixed them into a bed of rice. The crispy quinoa is a fun textural surprise next to the creamy avocado and chewy brown rice.
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Barley
Mushroom Miso Barley Stew
Miso with mushrooms is great. Barley with mushrooms is great. We combined them in this super warming dish.
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Tea-Steeped Barley Porridge
Porridge inspired by our favorite chai and London fog tea lattes.
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Freekeh and Bulgur
Freekeh with Deli Vegetables, Kale Pesto, and Chili-Parmesan Sunflower Seeds
A love letter to the olive bar. Packed with marinated vegetables, freekeh, kale pesto, and crunchy, salty, spicy sunflower seeds.
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Spicy Bulgur in Lettuce Cups
If you relish food that you can eat with your hands, you’ll take pleasure in assembling and eating these salad wraps.
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Farro
Jessica’s Eggplant and Cauliflower “Meatballs”
Farro, roasted veggies, and lots of Parm. You can make the mixture ahead of time and bake just before serving.
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Farro, Roasted Carrot, and Pomegranate Salad
A seasonal salad full of caramelized veggies and autumnal flavors.
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Farro and Tuna Bowl
Look out for Sungolds during peak tomato season, but regular cherry tomatoes will work here as well.
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Farro Salad with Preserved Lemon and Herbs
This salad tastes better at room temperature, so it’s an ideal candidate for picnics and potlucks.
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Recommended Reading
What to Do with My Leftover Grains
Porridge: The Universal Power Breakfast