Rice & Grains

The secret ingredient in Kristen's version of this southern classic? Evaporated milk.

Egg whites replace the usual oil or butter. This recipe makes a lot of granola, but that's just fine because there are so many things you can do with it. 1. For a breakfast parfait
Layer thawed frozen berries, vanilla yogurt, and granola in a tall glass. Drizzle with honey.
2. As a topping for apple pie
Instead of streusel, sprinkle granola over the apples during the last five minutes of the pie's baking time.
3. For trail mix
Just add M&Ms or white-chocolate chips, and you're ready for a hike.

These whole wheat rolls will impress everyone with how incredibly soft and moist they are. The secret ingredient? Instant potato flakes.

Roasted red and green grapes add juicy flavor and refreshing tanginess to this satisfying pilaf-style dressing.

For extra flavor, add leftover (plain) gravy or stuffing to the soup. If using stuffing, stir in one to two cups half an hour before the end of the cooking time. If using gravy, add it just before the soup's done.

Chef Charlie Palmer shared this recipe for one of his signature dishes at his Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant in Sonoma, California, exclusively with Epicurious. Crisp-skinned, juicy duck breasts are accented with gingery fried rice and sweet roasted peaches for a stunning dish that's surprisingly simple to make. Note that the recipe makes more than enough soy-lime emulsion for the fried rice. Leftover emulsion, which will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days, can be used in stir-fries and salads or as a sauce for tuna tartare or dumplings.

Long-grain rice won't do the trick here; short- and medium-grain have the perfect texture for the clay-pot chicken, not quite absorbing the sauce but supporting it in a delicious way.

This lamb-rich, Uzbek-style pilaf is typical of the fare served by northern Afghans to mark festive occasions. Despite the absence of spices and herbs, it is a surprisingly complex dish.

This recipe was created by chef Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. For the polenta, chef Mackinnon Patterson recommends Anson Mills Rustic Coarse Polenta.

The cornmeal-crusted shrimp are a crunchy contrast to the creamy risotto.

Barely a day goes by at the Puerto Rican table without rice and beans making an appearance, but this version is pull-out-the-stops-special rather than everyday—you won't believe how much flavor can be packed into such an understated dish. The secret is an abundantly seasoned sofrito—the flavor base—and the slight crust, called pegao, that forms on the bottom of the pot.

Though this rice mainly functions to sop up the meat's red sauce, a quick sauté with garlic and onion and the use of chicken broth as well as water means it can hold its own.

Chalupas de huitlacoche Chalupas, meaning "little boats," differ in shape and size as you move around Mexico, but in this case, their cargo includes mushroomlike huitlacoche; pleasantly tart salsa verde; salty queso fresco; and the crunch of raw onion.

Flameado! Igniting the tequila in the skillet not only impresses onlookers—it also burns off the alcohol, leaving behind nothing but the spirit's famous bite.

This hearty Mexican stew is made with pork in a red chile broth that’s studded with hominy. Build the base by toasting two kinds of dried chiles, then purée into a paste that gets sautéed in oil.

Farro is a nutty grain similar to spelt. A whole-grain wheat grown in Italy, it has a firm, chewy texture when cooked. Look for semi-pearled farro, which has some hulls already removed from the grain and therefore cooks faster.

Part oatmeal, part pancake, this recipe is the best of both.