Cheesy Savory Oatmeal
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This Cheesy Savory Oatmeal is made with cheddar cheese and topped with spinach, sweet potato, and a fried egg for a filling and delicious breakfast. It’s a great option for when you’re craving something savory in the morning and want to switch it up!
Oh hey look, an oatmeal recipe! This cheesy savory oatmeal is the oatmeal of my dreams, mostly because it’s made with my three favorite foods: cheese, sweet potatoes and eggs.
I’ll admit, I’m a creature of habit. I tend to eat hard boiled eggs, or eggs and toast for breakfast most mornings. And while I love a good routine, sometimes it gets a little… boring. You know?
This cheesy savory oatmeal is so good. I wouldn’t lie to you! As much as I love my cauliflower breakfast bowl and my sweet potato breakfast bowl recipe, this savory oatmeal gives them a run for their money.
Recipe features
A tasty way to switch up the way you typically cook oatmeal. Perfect for when you want a fiber and protein-packed breakfast. An easy way to start the day with some veggies.
Ingredients
- Oats: I used a mixture of steel cut oats and rolled oats, because texture is everything when it comes to oatmeal. The result is way better when if you only used rolled oats, in my opinion.
- Shallot: Shallots give this bowl extra flavor; can sub onion if needed, but don’t omit
- Cheese: Cheese is key! I honestly would not omit it; if you’re dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free cheese instead
- Sweet potatoes: Again, just adding more nutrients to this bowl with the sweet potato, and cooking them in the skillet allows them to get nice and crispy on the outside
- Spinach: Sautéed spinach is a quick and easy way to get your greens in. Don’t love spinach? Try kale instead!
- Egg: A simple way to add protein to this bowl.
- Green onions: A simple garnish that packs a ton of flavor! Or, sub your favorite herb like chives or parsley.
- Hot sauce: Optional, don’t knock it ’til you try it!
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook the sweet potato. Start by heating olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the diced sweet potato and sauté for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften.
Step 2: Cook the oats. Next, Add the rolled oats, steel cut oats and water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer the oats, stirring occasionally, for 6-10 minutes until the oats have absorbed the water. Then, remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.
Step 3: Add the shallots and spinach. Add the shallots and spinach to the skillet with the sweet potatoes and stir for 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
Step 4: Fry the eggs. Spray a separate skillet with nonstick spray and fry the eggs until they’re cooked to your liking.
Step 5: Assemble. Scoop the oatmeal into 3 bowls, then top with the sweet potato mixture and a fried egg. Sprinkle with green onions, add a few dashes of hot sauce (optional) and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Stir occasionally: The oats cook fairly quickly, but you want to make sure to give them a quick stir every 1-2 minutes so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Dice the sweet potato small! That way, they cook more quickly.
- If you’re really feeling fancy, you could use my air fryer sweet potatoes recipe to prep the sweet potatoes for the optimal texture (it’s my favorite!).
- Feeling bold? Add hot sauce! A little bit goes a long way.
- Want to add even more protein and flavor? Try cooking the oats in bone broth instead of water.
Tip
Make sure you’re using rolled oats or old fashioned oats, NOT quick cooking oats.
Can I use different toppings?
Other topping options include: kale, fried brussels sprouts (link) bell peppers, mushrooms, bacon, tempeh bacon, or roasted chickpeas. The possibilities are endless!
Can this be made vegan?
Yes! I wouldn’t omit the cheese though. Instead, I’d use your favorite dairy-free cheese, and then instead of the egg, include a different topping (see above).
Storage:
Make ahead: To save yourself time in the mornings, you can prep the oats and even the vegetables ahead of time. Then, once you’re ready to eat, reheat everything either in a skillet or in the microwave. That way, the only thing you’d have to cook is the eggs.
Leftovers: Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
More easy breakfast recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Cheesy Savory Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil, or more as needed
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced small
- 1/4 cup shallot, minced
- 2 cups spinach
- 3/4 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 eggs
- Green onion for garnish
- Hot sauce for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sweet potato and cook for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften.
- Meanwhile, add the steel cut oats, rolled oats, water (or broth) and salt to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oats have softened.
- Add the shallot and spinach to the skillet with the sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes until the spinach has wilted; remove from the heat.
- Spray a separate skillet with nonstick spray, then cook the eggs until they’re cooked to your liking.
- Once the oats are done, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese.
- Assemble: divide the oatmeal into 3 bowls, then top it with the sweet potato mixture and add a fried egg on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with green onions and hot sauce (optional), along with more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in May 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in March 2025.
This was so interesting that I had to try it and it was actually very good! Savory oatmeal isn’t something I would expect would all the cheese and flavors together made this a great savory breakfast option.
Thanks Miles! Glad you enjoyed the oatmeal!
I’d like to try this recipe later this week, but I was wondering… do the steel cut oats have a sufficient time to cook for only 4-8 minutes? The time on the back of the packaging says 15-20 minutes . What have you found? Thanks!
Great question! You’ll have to keep an eye on them, but they should definitely cook faster than 15-20 minutes. Let me know how they turn out!
20 minutes makes oatmeal porridge without any texture. I cooked just steel cut oats for 10 minutes in a double boiler and then threw them into the skillet with everything else just before the egg. It was wonderful! Thanks for this recipe: I hadn’t thought about sweet potatoes, but they were a great addition
I’ve never made savory oatmeal!
I have to say my brain trips up at the idea, but I think I’d be willing to give it a go!
Love an egg on anything! Haha!
Debs