Our oatmeal for every day

We love this oatmeal and enjoy it almost every morning. Below are all of our top tips for making oatmeal on the stovetop or in the microwave.

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Related: We love this oatmeal baked with strawberries and bananas.

We eat oatmeal for breakfast most mornings. It’s easy, heart healthy and filling. This is how we make oatmeal. Follow our tips for delicious, perfectly cooked oatmeal at home.

Types of oatmeal

Old-fashioned or oatmeal are what we will be working with today. Most often we buy oatmeal or rolled oats. They look like flat, rounded discs. Whole oat grains are steamed and then pressed until they become flat. This light processing speeds up cooking time as the flattened shape cooks quickly. We use oatmeal in other recipes like granola bars, oatmeal cookies, baked oatmeal, and overnight oats.

Quick oatmeal (also called instant oatmeal) are pre-cooked, dried and then rolled and pressed a little thinner than rolled oats. Quick oats got their name because they cook faster than the other types of oats. The quick cooking time is a plus, but they often get mushy after cooking.

Steel-Cut Oats are whole oat groats that are cut into small pieces (instead of being rolled into flat disks like oatmeal). They take longer to cook than other oats but are delicious. Cooked oats have a creamy, chewy consistency. We also call steel-cut oatmeal fancy oatmeal. We love her!

How to make oatmeal

The best method for cooking oatmeal is our cooking method. It takes about 10 minutes and is easy. However, we know that just a few minutes shaving in the morning can make a difference, so we also shared our method of cooking oatmeal in the microwave. This method applies to rolled oats (also called Old Fashioned Oats).

cooking ratio

When preparing oatmeal, you can use water, milk (dairy or non-dairy), or a combination of these. For our everyday oatmeal, we’ll stick with water, but for an extra creamy bowl of oatmeal, we’ll use 50% or whole milk.

When cooking oatmeal, it is important to remember the ratio one part oatmeal to two parts liquid. Here are a few parts to help you:

• A portion = 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1 cup liquid (water, milk, or a combination)
• Two servings = 1 cup oatmeal + 2 cups liquid (water, milk or a combination)
• Three servings = 1 ½ cups oatmeal + 3 cups liquid (water, milk, or a combination)
• Four servings = 2 cups oatmeal + 4 cups liquid (water, milk, or a combination)

If you ever find your oatmeal is too dry, add an extra dash of water or milk to make it fluffy for you.

Stove method for the best oatmeal

Using the stove is my preferred method. To do it:

1. Bring water or milk to a boil and stir in the oatmeal.
2. Reduce the heat until it simmers very low.
3. Cook like this until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oatmeal is tender.
4. Cover the pot with a lid, let sit for a minute or two, then serve.

In general, the cooking time is five to ten minutes. However, I usually buy extra thick rolled oats so my cook time is closer to 10 minutes (maybe a minute or two more).

How to cook oatmeal in the microwave

Using a microwave to cook oatmeal is a quick and easy fix for busy mornings. I’ve never been happier with the texture of my oatmeal after using it in the microwave than on the stovetop, but since it minimizes dishes and cooking time, it pays to know how to do it.

If using the microwave, cook one portion at a time and use a higher-sided bowl so the oatmeal doesn’t overflow as it bubbles in the microwave.

In a large, high-sided bowl, combine 1 cup liquid (water, milk, or a combination) with 1/2 cup oatmeal. Microwave the bowl on high for two minutes, then microwave the bowl for another minute or two before serving.

Our family’s favorite oatmeal recipes and toppings

You can see the three oatmeal recipes that we love the most in the photos. We rotate these throughout the week.

Oatmeal with blueberries and peanut butter — Here is Adam’s favorite piece. After we cook our oatmeal, we stack fresh or thawed frozen blueberries on top and add a large dollop of peanut butter. Oatmeal, berries, and nut butters keep us full until lunchtime.

Oatmeal with strawberries, almonds and ground flax — Our son loves strawberries, so this is his favorite. For even more stickiness, you can replace the almonds with a dollop of almond butter.

Oatmeal with banana slices, walnuts and honey — Here is my favorite of the three options shown. I love banana nut muffins and this bowl of oatmeal reminds me of that. If you don’t eat honey, swap it for maple syrup or another sweetener like coconut sugar.

More toppings

You can stir almost anything you love into cooked oatmeal, but here’s some extra oatmeal inspiration for you:

• Roasted nuts and seeds such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or roasted pumpkin seeds
• Nut butters such as peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter
• Chia seeds, hemp seeds or ground flaxseed
• Dash of cream or non-dairy milk
• Brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup
• Dried fruits (like cranberries, mulberries, or raisins)
• Fresh fruit like berries, bananas, or apples (try these cinnamon apples from the stove)
• Baking spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice
• Sautéed spinach or kale and a poached egg or soft-boiled egg

Our oatmeal for every day

Makes 1 serving

Nutritional value per serving
serving size
1/2 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
/
calories
150
/
total fat
0g
/
Saturated Fatty Acids
0g
/
cholesterol
0mg
/
sodium
163.4 mg
/
carbohydrate
27g
/
fiber
4g
/
total sugar
0g
/
protein
5g

AUTHOR:

Adam and Joanne Gallagher