Oatmeal: Porridge Made from Oats Cooked in Milk
Perhaps the best quick and simple dish for a good breakfast is oatmeal: porridge made from flattened oat grains, cooked in milk or water, or even a mix of the two. Plain rolled oats are different from the tender instant “Hercules” flakes that people usually prefer for porridge. Yet to my taste, the roughness of grain that hasn’t been steamed does the porridge good, and us too. The dish is cooked in a similar way, but with its own nuances.
Don’t forget that any cereal is quite high in calories, so its benefit on “weight loss” diets is very doubtful. Unlike steamed “Hercules” flakes, unsteamed rolled oats take longer to cook, and it isn’t enough to pour boiling water over them for a few minutes. Usually we cook the oats for 5-10 minutes, preferring that they don’t turn into a mushy mass but stay, as the Italians would say, al dente.
The simplest oatmeal: a home recipe.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Rolled oats (not “Hercules” flakes) 2 cups (160–170 g)
- Milk 2.5% 2 cups
(400 ml) - Water 2 cups
(400 ml) - Vanilla to taste
- Salt a pinch
Step-by-step recipe
Milk and water
As a rule, we have oatmeal for breakfast on Saturdays. It just turned out that way and became a firm tradition. We cook the porridge in a mix of milk and water without added sugar. At breakfast everyone adds honey or jam, condensed milk, or leaves it as it is.
For the porridge we use oats that haven’t been pre-processed. They look similar to the usual “Hercules” flakes, but are tougher and need some time to soften.
Pour 2 cups of water (400 ml) and 2 cups of milk (400 ml) into a pot. We use regular store-bought milk with 2.5% fat or a little more.
Add vanilla to taste, powder or extract, but only a little, and a pinch of salt.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over the heat.
Cooking the porridge
Pour 2 cups of rolled oats (160 g) into the boiling mixture, about 160–170 grams if you don’t heap the cups.
Right away, stir the porridge slowly so the oats don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. A wooden spatula is handy for stirring.
Wait for it to come to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.
Keep stirring the porridge with the spatula and cook it for at least 5 minutes. If you like it softer, you can cook it longer, as you prefer.
Gradually the oatmeal will thicken, and the grains will swell and soften. In fact, the cooking time depends on your preferences.
Serving
Serve the porridge hot, right away. Traditionally oatmeal is poured into a lidded tureen or soup dish, and at breakfast everyone ladles it into their own bowl with a small ladle. Let’s make it simpler and just pour the porridge into small soup bowls.
Toppings are optional. You can add cherry or apricot jam, condensed milk, grated nuts or raisins, and even chocolate: there is room for creativity and imagination. Sometimes a little butter is added to the finished porridge, which increases the calories but improves the taste. A pinch of cinnamon is nice too.
Calories and macros
440 kcal
Serving ≈ 490 g
- Protein17 g17% of kcal
- Fat12 g26% of kcal
- Carbs57 g57% of kcal
100 g90 kcalProtein 3.5 gFat 2.4 gCarbs 11.7 g
Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.
To Get It Right
Which oats to choose
Unsteamed rolled oats, not “Hercules” flakes. They are tougher and take longer to cook, but the grains stay whole, al dente, rather than turning into a mushy mass. To my taste, the roughness of such grain does the porridge good.
Sweet or not
We cook oatmeal without sugar: at the table everyone adds honey, jam or condensed milk. If you want sweet porridge right away, add 1 tbsp of sugar (14 g) to the milk and let it dissolve before adding the oats.
If there are leftovers
Cooled oatmeal thickens a lot. Keep it in the fridge under a lid for up to 2 days, and reheat it over low heat, adding a little milk and stirring.
Have your own trick for this recipe?
Egg and pancake ringsAliExpress
Oil sprayerAliExpress
Pull chopper for garlic and onionAliExpress
Kitchen scale up to 5 kgAliExpress
Vegetable chopper with handleAliExpress
Measuring cups and spoonsAliExpressQuestions and answers
How long do you cook oatmeal?
Rolled oats take at least 5 minutes after the mixture comes back to a boil over medium heat, usually 5–10 minutes. That way the grains swell and soften but stay al dente. If you like softer porridge, cook it longer.
How much water and milk do I need for 1 cup of oatmeal?
2 cups of liquid (400 ml) per 1 cup of oats (80 g). In this recipe, for 2 cups of oats (160 g) you need 2 cups of milk (400 ml) and 2 cups of water (400 ml). For a thinner porridge, use a little more liquid.
Can I cook oatmeal with only milk or only water?
Yes, the proportion is the same: 4 cups of liquid (800 ml) for 2 cups of oats (160 g). Milk alone makes the porridge creamier and more filling, water makes it lighter. We use half milk and half water.
How do I cook “Hercules” flakes and instant oatmeal?
Steamed flakes are almost ready, so 1–2 minutes over low heat is enough: 1 cup of flakes (90 g) to 2 cups of milk (400 ml). For details, see the recipe for porridge made from rolled oats.
How many calories are in oatmeal made with milk?
About 85 kcal per 100 g of porridge made with half milk and half water and no sugar. Butter, honey, jam and condensed milk add noticeably more calories, since any cereal is quite high in calories.