Can we talk about breakfast for a hot second? I’ve always been a breakfast person. If I don’t eat anything in the morning, I will turn into a hangry person. Like a mess. Which isn’t a great thing when you drink 3 cups of coffee and work in chocolate product development. I turn into a jittery snacking person that consumes waaaay more sugar than any person should before noon.

I used to be a huge cereal person. I even dedicated a whole post to the obsession with a homemade cereal recipe. And a post about how Rice Krispies are made! It’s like a big happy rambling about cereal over here. It’s no wonder I love sugar. Honestly.

But in between those bowls of cereal, I tried to keep it a bit healthier with packets of Quaker oatmeal as a kid. The only thing was that I kinddd of hated it. I thought it was bland, so I ended up adding tablespoons of brown sugar which cancelled out all good intentions anyway. In recent years, I played around more with oatmeal like overnight oats and variations of baked oatmeal. I’m becoming more open to it. I just sucked at making oatmeal before I think.

I’ve discovered that oatmeal is a fabulous blank canvas, and the popular variations of late have tended toward more savory recipes. Oats are like the next power bowl. A bed for roasted greens and bold flavors. Which I’m pretty excited about. I’m a savory breakfast convert.

This oatmeal features flavors that will wake you up for a great day like Romesco, and it also has lasting nutrients that will keep you going through the morning hours like protein-packed eggs and deep green broccolini.

And cheese.

I love the savory nature that cheese offers to oatmeal. It melts into the dish providing the backbone and making everything creamy. Talk about an umami powerhouse. This particular recipe uses a young gouda. We’ve learned from our good friend and cheese expert, Pat, all about what makes a great melting cheese. In this case, we’ve used a young gouda which has a higher moisture content, and a pretty healthy percentage of fat. That’s important when you’re depending on the cheese structure to soften and incorporate into a dish.

You know what else is incredibly important? Ageing and acidity levels. Essentially, ageing is great for creating those complex flavor profiles in part because of proteolysis. That’s protein breakdown which is not great for cheese meltiness. And acidity? That can come from either the production of fresh cheeses like ricotta, or acid production during ageing. Not enough acidity? The cheese has a strong structure and doesn’t melt well due to Calcium from the milk. Too much acidity, and you’ve also got a strong structure, but for a different reason. The proteins are attracted to each other and stick.

An unaged gouda will provide the perfect storm for cheese meltiness. We’ve got all the boxes checked. Moisture, fat, medium acidity, and minimal ageing.

Might I add that was an unbelievably short explanation, so for all of the cheese wisdom you could ever want, including on what makes great melty cheese melty, head on over to Cheese Science!

Back to this cheesy oatmeal. Feel free to switch up all of the toppings and sauce choice. I follow Snixy Kitchen’s technique of using a mixture of steel cut oats and old-fashioned oats for a texture that doesn’t turn slimy and fall apart. I also touch on previous techniques I’ve covered like roasting your own red peppers and adding a soft-boiled egg (here and here) or a poached egg. I hope you enjoy! Let me know how you like your own savory oatmeal!

Cheesy Oatmeal with Romesco Sauce, Garlic Broccolini, and Eggs

Makes 4 Servings

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For the Cheesy Oatmeal

Adapted from Snixy Kitchen

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 medium shallots, minced

1 ⅓ cup steel cut oats (not quick cooking)

⅔ cup old fashioned rolled oats

5 ⅓ cups water, plus more as needed

¾ cup shredded young gouda cheese, plus ½ cup more for serving

¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper, plus more for taste

For Toppings and Sauce

2 roasted red peppers

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, separated

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch of cayenne

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼ cup toasted almonds

1 tablespoon olive oil

A bunch of broccolini, large stems cut off

Red pepper flakes

4 eggs, soft boiled or poached

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant and begins to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add oats and water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the oats have thickened to your liking, 15-20 minutes, adding more water, as needed if the oats thicken too much. Fold in ¾ cup of the cheese until melted and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, adding more to taste if desired.
2. While the oatmeal is cooking, make the broccolini. Mince one of the cloves of garlic. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Then add the minced clove of garlic and cook for a couple minutes until softened. Put the broccolini in and cook for a couple minutes. Then season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
3. Next, prepare the sauce. Combine half of a roasted red pepper, tomato paste, a clove of garlic, paprika, cayenne, red wine vinegar, and the toasted almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is pasty with some chunks.
4. Roughly chop the remaining roasted red peppers. Divide the oatmeal between four bowls. Then divide the roasted red pepper, cheese, broccolini, and sauce between the bowls as well. Top each with an egg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Enjoy!