10 Delicious Recipes With Whole Grains

Quick Chicken and Barley Stew Recipe
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Hearty, healthy whole grains are an easy and delicious way to add more bulk and nutrition to your family meals. If you need a break from white rice, the tasty, fail-safe side dish for weeknight suppers, expand your horizons and try other whole grains such as herbed couscous or nutty farro. Grains are versatile and can easily substitute for each other in a recipe. To make mealtime prep even easier, look for quick cooking brands such as Trader Joe's 10 Minute Farro or Simply Balanced Microwaveable Farro Pouch from Target.

01 of 10

Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp and Broccoli

Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp and Broccoli
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Broccoli

The rice soaks up all of the delicious lemon-garlic sauce in this quick and easy shrimp dish. You can make this recipe come together even faster by using bagged precut broccoli florets.

02 of 10

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Roasted Vegetable Couscous
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Any grain or mix of grains, such as quinoa or barley, will work in this recipe. Add shredded deli chicken to make the recipe heartier.

03 of 10

Cuban Black Bean-and-Yellow Rice Bowls

Cuban Black Bean-and-Yellow Rice Bowls
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cuban Black Bean-and-Yellow Rice Bowls

Plantains, a variety of banana popular in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines, are ready to use when their peels turn black on the outside. Buy them black or let them ripen before cooking.

04 of 10

Emily's Red Beans and Rice

Emily's Red Beans and Rice
Peter Frank Edwards

Recipe: Emily's Red Beans and Rice

Ideal for a neighborhood potluck, this recipe makes a lot, especially when served with fluffy rice and a wedge of hot cornbread.

05 of 10

Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad

Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad

Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous) really soaks up the tangy dressing, but you can also substitute a cooked and cooled whole grain like quinoa or bulgur.

06 of 10

Shrimp Perloo

Shrimp Perloo
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Shrimp Perloo

One-pot rice dishes are versatile and easy, the perfect choice for a weeknight meal. Be sure and choose medium-size and not large shrimp; the heat from the rice mixture cooks the shrimp to tender perfection in only 3 to 5 minutes.

07 of 10

Shrimp Fried Rice

Shrimp Fried Rice
Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice

Substitute sugar snap peas or snow peas for haricot verts. The best fried rice is made with day-old rice because it is drier and not so sticky.

08 of 10

Quick Chicken and Barley Stew

Quick Chicken and Barley Stew Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Quick Chicken and Barley Stew

This chicken stew is filled with good-for-you vegetables, such as carrots, celery, and spinach, as well as hearty whole grains. Add a piece of warm bread to round out this cool weather meal.

09 of 10

Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice

Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton

Recipe: Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice

In this recipe, chef, cookbook author, and recipe developer Virginia Willis pairs collard greens with rice, two favorite Southern ingredients, to create a savory and flavorful dish hearty enough to be served as a main entrée.

10 of 10

Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl

Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl
Greg Dupree

Recipe: Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl

Have dinner on the table in no time with this quick and easy recipe. Rub the chicken cutlets with the homemade spice rub hours in advance, then chill. All you do when you get home is make the rice and cook the chicken and vegetables.

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