If you are looking for an alternative for traditional macaroni and cheese, look no further than this recipe for Baked Rice and Cheese. Familiar ingredients combine in an unexpected way to recreate the comfort food classic, and it's likely that you all of the necessary ingredients already on hand. For more adventurous eaters, this baked rice casserole recipe can be modified in a variety of ways. Be sure to check out the variation below that includes mushrooms and bacon.

With its combination of feta cheese, crunchy vegetables, and plenty of pasta, this recipe for Greek-Style Pasta Salad will be a hit at your next potluck! This easy pasta salad recipe is sure to wow the crowd, and can be read to eat within about 30 minutes. Although you can certainly share this pasta salad with family and friends at a picnic or during brunch, you can also serve it as a hearty lunch during the work week.

Best known as the lingerie of biblical times, fig leaves are truly beautiful. They are a vibrant green color, larger than an adult hand, ...

The black bran on black rice turns the water it is cooked in a deep purplish black, or milk a lovely shade of lavender gray. For this pud...

Thick pieces of fresh fish fillet retain their moisture and flavor if ovenroasted at a high temperature for a short time. Escolar, salmon...

I was first served pasta with fig sauce by chef Christopher Mariscotti at The Vineyard Restaurant, in the heart of fig country in Madera,...

Fill this free-form tart with figs or a combination of figs and peaches or nectarines-both are ripe and luscious during fig season, use j...

Use a variety of fresh figs for this pudding-like dessert. The mixture of flavors sizes, and colors pleasing to the palate and to the eye.

Think of these as treasure-filled purses of feathery phyllo, or as golden flowers sprinkled with green pistachios. Serve them in a pool o...

A brown sugar and vanilla batter makes these a figgy version of the classic chocolate chip cookie. This is a totally addictive cookie.

This is a simple dessert to make ahead. Keep it on hand for a quick fix of something sweet after dinner.

When a friend described this dessert to me after eating it at a restaurant, I just had to give it a try. My thanks to the chef, wherever ...

This is my version of pho (pronounced “fah”), the hearty Vietnamese rice-noodle soup that is served in enormous bowls with a fork to eat ...

Medium-grain brown rice has a pleasant nutty taste and chewy texture. It can be sticky, so for salads I usually rinse the cooked rice wit...

You could also make this salad with half wild and half long-grain brown or white rice. The recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled) for ...

Serve these crunchy little rice pancakes as a nibble with wine before dinner or as a side dish with grilled fish or chicken. I also like ...

Persian rice is prepared by a unique technique, slowly cooking the rice in a heavy pan over very low heat until a crust forms on the bott...

Oyster mushrooms, also called pleurotes, are a delicate lacy-capped mushroom the color of alabaster. If snow peas aren’t available, subst...

Spinach gives this risotto a green-flecked appearance. The sharpness of the pecorino Romano, an Italian sheep’s milk cheese, is mellowed ...

In this recipe, there are two methods for the final cooking. Select the method that suits you, or experiment to see which one you like best.

The secret of this pilaf is the vermicelli—thin strings of pasta that have been broken into small pieces and cooked in a generous knob of...

Don’t let the long list of ingredients deter you from making this sumptuous dish. It comes together very quickly once the vegetables are ...

More preparation than cooking time is necessary here. The shrimp are marinated and roasted in a hot oven. The rice, cooked separately, is...

Use all white button mushrooms or a combination, if you prefer (see Notes). A mixture of white button and the more flavorful cremini is n...

Couscous is a tiny pasta shape made from wheat and semolina. It is popular in the cooking of North Africa. This simple but pretty salad i...

Serve this simple side dish, enhanced with the woodsy flavor and aroma of dried wild mushrooms, with roasted squab, pheasant, or medallio...

Tonnato is the Italian word for tuna and this sauce is inspired by the classic Italian dish, vitello tonnato, which is thinly sliced veal...

This is a classic Greek pasta dish. It makes a good-size pan and is rich and special enough to serve to a fairly large group of people. L...

This lasagne uses all the vegetables at their best in September: tomatoes, com, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. It is rich and flavorful...

This lasagne is much lighter and a little less rich than the typical lasagne. To allow the delicate seafood flavors and the flavor of the...

There are probably as many variations of pasta primavera as there are cooks and vegetables. This version uses almost all spring vegetable...

This elegant recipe-good enough for entertaining-goes together in a few minutes and cooks in less than half an hour. Serve it with a side...

Serve this chunky sauce over large tubular pasta like rigatoni, penne, or ziti.

There are endless ways to serve these skewered honey-glazed figs. Try them hot off the grill as an appetizer, accompanied by small chunks...

This outrageously delicious recipe has been making the rounds of innumerable restaurant menus for several years now. I haven’t a clue whi...

This simple cream cheese spread, made entirely in the food processor, reminds me of the cream cheese and date-nut-bread sandwiches I once...

Apples and pork are a traditional duo, especially in the fall. In this pork loin the apple stuffing is embellished with cider-plumped dri...

This refreshing salad is perfect for perking up winter menus. If you like, you can poach the figs in the orange juice a day or two before...

Dried figs and fennel, both important ingredients in the cooking of the eastern Mediterranean region, are often paired in sweets like can...