Oatmeal is a classic, no frills breakfast, but think of it as a blank canvas. Once you have your oatmeal, you can mix and match ingredients to get a variety of flavors and textures in your breakfast bowl. We understand that oatmeal may not be your go-to breakfast, but this recipe may earn a slot in your top 10. Oats are one of the easiest grains to cook because you simply throw them in a pot with liquid and call it a day. Depending on the oats you purchase, you may need to cook them for a couple minutes or 10 minutes. Either way, your fiber-rich, protein-packed bowl of oats is ready in no time.

There are several types of oats, with the most popular varieties being steel cut, rolled, and quick oats. Steel cut oats have a firmer texture and are the least processed oat variety. They can take up to 20 minutes to cook, but they contain a lot of fiber! Rolled oats are very popular and act as a pleasant middle ground between steel cut and quick oats. They are very easy to make, but do not cook as fast as quick oats, which form a creamy oatmeal in a minute or so.

For the best bowl of oatmeal, we live by four key components. You need to hit notes of creaminess, sweetness, a little saltiness, and something special or extra. What is the extra flavor? Well, that entirely depends on your palate, but cinnamon, cocoa, peanut butter, vanilla, berries, or coconut yogurt are excellent options. We hope this recipe kickstarts your desire to make more bowls of oatmeal on a regular basis!