Try this Savory Caprese Oatmeal Bowl recipe perfect for Healthy Easy Entertaining at your next brunch!
It’s June Dairy Month and I’m happy to share this fun and filling savory oatmeal bowl recipe to celebrate! It’s perfect for a healthy breakfast or lunch or brunch! Imagine a cross between a Caprese salad and breakfast oatmeal bowl. Last year, I made this Boozy Hazelnut Frozen Hot Chocolate recipe (it’s still one of my favorite frozen treats) as part of my campaign with Florida Dairy Farmers. This year, I went healthier and more unique. Oatmeal is mostly thought of as a sweet breakfast dish. But have you ever tried a savory oatmeal bowl? It’s amazing!
This post is sponsored by Florida Dairy Farmers in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. As always, all opinions are my own. I only choose to work with brands I love to inspire you to #MakeSomedayHappen one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time.
Milk is not just for cereal. And oatmeal is not just for breakfast. This Savory Caprese Oatmeal Bowl can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. I love how versatile milk is and how surprising this dish can be.
Most people make oatmeal with water. I always make it with skim milk for a creamier and richer consistency. Plus, it ups the protein content, which makes you feel full longer. (There’s 8g of protein in 1 cup of skim milk!)
Inspiration from Orlando’s First Oatmeal Café
The first time I tried a savory oatmeal bowl was at Orlando’s first oatmeal café, Create Your Nature in Winter Park, Florida. Owner Kim Dill loves Caprese salads and she thought “why not?” when creating their menu of sweet and savory acai and oatmeal bowls. Most of their signature oat bowls are sweet. As you would expect, topped with fresh fruit, yogurt, preserves, nuts and honey. But it’s the savory ones that truly surprised me (as well as many Orlandoans). The “Lacey Caprese” was my favorite savory oatmeal bowl and inspired this recipe. If you’re in Orlando, stop by and check them out. I am sure we will see more Oatmeal Bars opening around the city, state and country.
Easy Entertaining Tip: Create an Oatmeal Bar for Brunch
The next time you’re planning a casual brunch with girlfriends or hosting your fitness or running group for lunch, set up a savory oatmeal bar with assorted toppings and let them make their own oat bowl creations. It’s perfect for easy entertaining.
Start with oatmeal and quinoa as your base. Toppings ideas include:
- Poached, soft-boiled or sunny side up eggs
- Arugula
- Infused olive oil
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Truffle sea salt
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Bacon
- Mozzarella
- Shaved Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- Avocado
- Cherry tomatoes
Fresh pressed juices, mimosas, Prosecco and a crisp rose wine make great pairings with your savory oatmeal bowl for brunch. Add a beautiful cheese board and fresh fruits for a perfectly healthy and delicious menu everyone will rave about.
Savory Oatmeal Bowl Ingredients
First, we start with the oatmeal. I used steel-cut oats instead of old-fashioned oats.
They are essentially the same in nutrients but have a better texture and a nutty flavor, especially if you toast them in butter before cooking, like I did.
These toasted steel-cut oats are made with milk for an ultra-creamy consistency. They are ready in 35 minutes and you can make a larger batch and reheat the rest of the week.
I’m telling you these are the most perfect steel-cut oats you’ve ever had! I don’t recommend using instant or quick cook oatmeal as it doesn’t have the same quality. But I’m all for easy and convenient so if you must, go for it.
The best part is you can top your oats with just about anything. Adding quinoa, especially a tricolored kind, gives it a unique contrast in textures and color.
The soft yolk in the poached, soft-boiled or sunny side up egg adds a layer of umami flavors and richness.
The creamy avocado and mozzarella mixes with the tangy tomatoes beautifully. I used Bocconcini balls but you can use any fresh mozzarella.
Arugula adds pepperiness. Use a good quality olive oil to enhance the flavors, especially if you have a basil or herb infused one. Pecorino or Parmesan cheese add a nutty quality. Use fresh shaved cheese for the best flavor. Do not use the granulated kind found in a shaker.
Your goal with toppings is to find contrasting textures, colors and flavors. Oatmeal is like potatoes, it acts as a canvas for any flavors you add to it. Get creative!
Savory Caprese Oatmeal Bowl Recipe
Ingredients:
Serves 4
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups boiling water
- pinch Salt
- 1/2 cup Quinoa (I used tricolored quinoa)
- 4 Eggs, poached, soft-boiled or fried sunny side up
- 12 Grape or cherry tomato, halved
- 1 3/4oz Fresh mozzarella bocconcini balls, (4 balls, quartered)
- 2 oz Pecorino Romano, shaved
- 1 Avocado, sliced or cubed
- Arugula
- Fresh basil
- Olive oil, drizzle
- Sea salt to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add oats. Stir to coat. Stir occasionally, making sure all the flakes are getting toasted, about 2-4 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Combine water and milk in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to simmer. Slowly add the oats. Give a quick stir, turn down the heat to low simmer. Cover. Leave undisturbed for 25 minutes.
- Add pinch of salt, gently stir. Continue to simmer on low heat until liquid evaporates for at least 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning the bottom. Remove from heat once it’s reached your desired consistency.
- In a separate saucepan, while oats are cooking, cook quinoa, following package instructions.
- Spoon oatmeal into bowls. Top with quinoa, egg and assorted toppings. Serve immediately.
About Florida Milk
Did you know Florida is home to more than 100 dairy farm families who work every day to produce fresh, quality milk from their farm to your fridge? Learn more about Florida’s dairy farmers here.
Did you know more than 120 thousand dairy cows live in Florida and collectively they produce over 270 million gallons of fresh milk each year!? Meet the cows here.
You can find more recipes on the Florida Dairy Farmers website and learn more by following Florida Milk on social media: Facebook, Instagram , Pinterest, Twitter , YouTube.
Sunday Supper Recipes Using Milk
Milk Recipes for Breakfast
- Crustless Spinach Quiche with Cheddar Cheese by Recipes Food & Cooking
- Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl by Love & Confections
- Easy Baked Grits with Sausage Gravy by Sunday Supper Movement
- Fresh Fruit-Topped Mini Pancakes by Girl Abroad
Milk Recipes for Lunch
- Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup by Life Tastes Good
- Creamy Spinach and Cauliflower Rice by Family Foodie
- Savory Caprese Oatmeal Bowl by Go Epicurista
- Vegetarian Croque Monsieur by Helpful Homemade
Milk Recipes for Dinner
- Gouda Grits with Creamy Asparagus and Crab Sauce by Soulfully Made
- Milk Poached Chicken with Pesto by Cricket’s Confections
- Potato Stack by Healing Tomato
- Triple Cheddar Chicken Pasta by Authentically Candace
Milk Recipes for Dessert
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Flour On My Face
- Coconut Flan by Desserts Required
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles by Casa de Crews
- Mini Boston Cream Cakes by The Crumby Cupcake
For more recipes and info, please visit the Undeniably Dairy website, and be sure to check out the YouTube channel!
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Which recipe will you be making with milk this month? Have you ever tried a savory oatmeal bowl? Leave me a comment below.
I hope you will try my Savory Caprese Oatmeal Bowl and celebrate with friends! Every day is an opportunity to celebrate and #MakeSomedayHappen
Cheers!
Go Epicurista
I’m so glad you used steel cut oats. I picked up a box by mistake and couldn’t figure out what the heck to do with them. Perfect. I’ll make this recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Steel cut oats are fantastic. They have a different texture so it makes your oatmeal bowl more interesting especially in recipes like this where you don’t want it to taste like your usual breakfast. I hope you enjoy it!