Savory Oatmeal- Is it possible

I can not get my husband to enjoy oatmeal as I make it with steel cut oats, a touch of brown sugar, walnuts and raisins. I suspect if I could make it savory he would like it- what flavorings can I use?

I have previously enjoyed oatmeal cooked with a bit of salt, then added pepper, some feta cheese and oregano.
And when I had my wisdom teeth taken out and was desperate for something savory but still mushy, I made oatmeal with a bit of soy sauce and added mushed up salmon (also cooked w/ginger, mirin, soy) -- was really good but horrified my boyfriend (who has never graduated past peaches&cream type).

The foodblog called Mahanandi once featured a recipe for spicy Indian-style oatmeal "upma" which is eaten for breakfast.

Link: http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/arc...

The "Upma" (We call it "Utma") my indian relatives eat is made from cream of rice. So you might try the same recipe using cream of rice cereal to make it more authentic.....

The blog is written by an Indian lady who was simply trying to show a different way to enjoy oatmeal using upma spices.

She also features the traditional recipe.

Link: http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/

If you like oatmeal with butter, you can fry a few fresh sage leaves in butter until the butter browns and the leaves are crisp. Then pour over bowls of salted oatmeal.

I'll see if I can find the exact recipe, but I love this.

Toast rolled oats in a dry cast iron or fry pan. When toasty enough, put in water. Turn down heat to simmer. Cover for about 8 minutes. Then take cover off. Splash in some tamari. Keep cover off and cook dry to your liking.

I think this recipe was in the Deaf Country cookbook, but I need to look for it.

My Scottish grandparents taught me you never eat sweet oatmeal. When I was a tot they served me savory oatmeal every morning. The Scottish old-school oatmeal is cooked until very soft. They didn't have steel cut, just Quaker Old-Fashioned. Salted lightly & made into an island in the bowl. A generous pat of butter becomes the volcano crater. The oatmeal island is surrounded by an ocean lightly salted warm milk.
Then you take your spoon and make the melted butter erupt and run down the sides of the volcano into the ocean.

thanks to all. I will try the rissoto way- with spinach, turkey bacon and cheese, salt and pepper. I will let you know what he thinks.

I don't think anyone has mentioned risotto?!
Follow any risotto recipe that you like, but use steel-cut oats (NOT quick cook oatmeal or rolled oats). It's really really good, and you can flavor it however you'd like. Just use your favorite risotto recipe, it even takes about the same time to cook.

was just about the mention risotto. i brown 1 cup steel cut oats in a tablespoon or so of olive oil. add 1 can swanson's roasted garlic chicken broth (you can use regular chicken broth, but the add flavor is incredible). bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (this is the big advantage over rice risotto -- all the liquid gets added at once.) add a bit of water if necessary.

i add parsley and black pepper. from there, you can add whatever you want; grated ginger and scallions (next time, i'll a few water chestnuts); my favorite is to add a few tablespoons of grated parm; i also tried dried cherries and pecans.

Here's an old Chowhound link to oatmeal risotto.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

I eat oatmeal all the time and often prefer the savoury to sweet recipes. Assuming you still want it for breakfast, try steel-cut oats with a drizzle of olive oil, topped with poached eggs and steamed/sauteed spinach, then a bit of lemon zest. For extra decadence, add a bit of creme fraiche. Or form the oatmeal into little patties that you dip in a combo of grated parmesan and toasted sesame seeds, then lightly saute in butter or olive oil.

my mom used to make my oatmeal with meat. usually chicken or pork. that was the only way she could get me to eat oatmeal when i was a kid.

I like to add raspberry jam or preserves to oatmeal...

I have a friend who INSISTS on eating oatmeal with curry powder and chopped up onions... I haven't brought myself to try it, but I think just thinking of it like a grain, as mentioned earlier, is the way to go. One can never go wrong by adding cheese and herbs to a grain.

Like this? From Austin Chronicle:

Savory Oatmeal with Seared Foie Gras at Cafe 909
photo by John Anderson

1) Savory Oatmeal with Seared Foie Gras at Cafe 909: They can actually hold the goose liver and just give me a steaming bowl of this fancy oatmeal seasoned with caramelized onions, applewood-smoked bacon, and maple syrup every day.

I grew up with oatmeal seasoned with salt and butter. Delicious, but perhaps not quite the thing you're searching for.

Ditto, but add a few grindings of black pepper to the butter and salt.

another vote for salt and butter + milk.

the problem of the OP could be the steel-cut oats - blah with no flavor. Rolled oats are the way to go.

Exactly. But with about twice the amount of salt that's normally recommended.

My former hated the fact that I made oatmeal with cream and bananas and brown sugar. He alway said the way he was used to involved butter- as grits I suppose.
Love the oatmeal as polenta idea.

You might find some canned haggis and try that out on him.

For things made from scratch, I'd use steel-cut oats and as mentioned earlier, fix them like polenta - add cheese and some herbs. As a matter of fact I like the idea so much I think I'll try that this weekend - thanks Karl!

Cheese and savory seasonings of choice. Think of it like any grain (rice, farro, barley, bulgur, grits, polenta, et cet.)