Switch Up Breakfast By Turning Your Morning Oats Into A Savory Dish

While bowls of oatmeal dressed in fruit, honey, and Greek yogurt come to mind easily when it comes to morning meals, oats can deliver satisfying savory flavors to get the day started. Not everyone wants to scoop into sweet dishes first thing in the morning, and that's okay. Savory dishes can offer servings of comfort before the everyday demands of life begin to pour in. It's time to give oats the respect they deserve for their versatility and expand your culinary creativity to think of morning oatmeal recipes outside of the norm.

If you're struggling for inspiration to turn oatmeal towards the savory side, think of your favorite avocado toast recipes. Use sliced avocado, sunny-side-up eggs, chili crisp, and red pepper flakes to make breakfast bowls that not only taste good but look good, or start piling your favorite home-cooked breakfasts on top of your served oatmeal. Roasted potatoes, slices of turkey sausage, and scrambled eggs garnished with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper will have even the slowest mover in your family racing to the breakfast table. 

Think of oats as an empty chalkboard to make up a dish that is just right for your palate. With spoonfuls of warm, cooked oats ladled into bowls, the hearty grains can be topped with an assortment of seasoned vegetables, eggs cooked your way, and your favorite breakfast proteins like bacon, sausage, or grilled tofu. Once you've warmed up to the idea of enjoying a savory bowl of oatmeal, you can start preparing the oatmeal itself with garlic, spices, and herbs.

Add crunch to your oatmeal inventions with sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds or homemade Za'atar blends, top bowls with crunchy frizzled onions, or punch up the flavor of savory oatmeal presentations with herbs de Provence. For the finishing touch, drizzles of infused olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or your favorite hot sauce can be the jewels on this crown of a meal. Once you start seeing oatmeal as a gastronomic opportunity instead of a go-to breakfast staple, the morning dishes coming out of your kitchen may never be the same.