Bring Out Oatmeal's Savory Power With Hard-Boiled Egg Slices

When most people think of having oatmeal in the morning for breakfast, they think of the grain as something to enjoy with fruit, honey, milk, and maybe some nuts. In reality, though, plain oatmeal is fairly flavorless, besides having a bit of a nutty flavor. But being bland isn't necessarily a bad thing — that means that it can be a vehicle for all sorts of flavors, not just sweet. Have you ever considered trying a savory morning bowl of oatmeal? It's hearty, warm, and as endlessly customizable as your imagination.

One way to a savory bowl of goodness is by adding hard-boiled egg slices to it. Along with some salt, pepper, and maybe a knob of butter or olive oil, this breakfast is full of energizing carbohydrates and hunger-satisfying protein. It might be difficult to go from maple syrup and bananas in your oatmeal one morning and jump right into topping it with eggs the next, but think of oatmeal as a totally blank canvas. Sweet or savory, there are so many ways to prepare and garnish it. With all the variations, it's possible to never have the same bowl of oatmeal twice.

Start by hard-boiling an egg and placing it in a bowl of ice water to cool it down quickly — and by the way, never try to hard-boil eggs in the microwave. Meanwhile, start your oats. For the best flavor, toast your oats first in a pan with a little butter. This will bring out the maximum nuttiness in the oats and make your breakfast taste fantastic, no matter the toppings. Once toasted, you can prepare the oatmeal as desired, with milk, stock, or water. Use your favorite type of oats, whether that's steel-cut oats or old-fashioned oats. When the oatmeal is finished, top it with slices of hard-boiled egg, some salt, and pepper, plus anything else that sounds good, like green onion, some roasted peppers, or homemade hot sauce.

Don't feel like the eggs must be hard-boiled; soft-boiled, poached, fried, and sunny-side-up eggs will be delicious because as you cut into them, that delicious yolk will melt all over the oatmeal, giving the dish even more flavor. But if you like scrambled eggs, those will work on top, too.

You could certainly stop at eggs, but why would you? A bowl of savory oatmeal can include any classic breakfast ingredients like bacon, cheese, and sausage. But feel free to get creative! Any ingredients you love are welcome. Try sautéed spinach with goat cheese and caramelized onions; mushrooms with Swiss cheese, garlic, and blistered cherry tomatoes; leftover roasted brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and kale; fresh summer tomatoes, avocado, and pickled shallot; or even roasted broccolini with lemon zest, crispy garlic chips, and chili flakes. 

All of these are fantastic as is or topped with an egg cooked however you like it. Fresh herbs and toasted nuts could be the perfect garnish for these savory oatmeal bowls — or whatever other kind of topping strikes your fancy. You can't go wrong by switching your oatmeal up with the seasons; utilizing whatever is in season and is local will guarantee you the best flavors. Think asparagus in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, broccoli in the fall, and dark, leafy greens in the winter. Fortunately, the eggs work all year round.