"PB & J" Oatmeal Bowl

It is no secret that I LOVE oatmeal. I find it so comforting to sit down in the morning with a bowl of warm oats, with their perfectly creamy and soft texture. While some might find oatmeal "boring" or "tasteless", I actually think it's one of the most versatile breakfasts - there are so many different things you can do and add to it! Brown sugar, chopped nuts, bananas, honey, raisins, berries, nut butter, chocolate chips - the possibilities are endless.

My go-to way to eat oatmeal is "PB & J" style. Peanut butter & jelly is my favorite kind of sandwich (I legitimately ate it EVERY SINGLE DAY in elementary school) and it translates beautifully to oatmeal. If I had to eat this oatmeal bowl every day for the rest of my life I think I would be perfectly happy.

Ingredients

• Whole rolled oats

• Salt

• Water

• Frozen berries

• Peanut butter (or almond butter)

Some Notes on Ingredients:

• For oats I like Bob's Red Mill old fashioned rolled oats. First of all, Bob's Red Mill is just a fantastic company overall. If you haven't heard to the How I Built This podcast with Bob Moore, you should definitely give it a listen! Secondly, these oats have a great, hearty texture and are super easy to make. When I was at Yale I was obsessed with the "Yale oatmeal" and later found out that they actually use Bob's oats!

• For the nut butter any kind (peanut, almond, etc.) is great - just make sure you get the kind that you have to stir. This more liquid-y kind is easier to mix evenly throughout your oatmeal.

Step 1: Cook the oatmeal

In a small pot add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oats, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then turn to low and cook until the oatmeal is almost to your desired creaminess (usually ~10 minutes).

Step 2: Add the berries

When your oatmeal is almost done, add 1/2 cup of frozen berries. Stir them around in your oatmeal to soften them until the whole mixture is heated through (~5 minutes). I like adding the frozen berries here because cooking them creates this wonderful, jammy mixture that infuses all of your oats.

Step 3: Assemble the bowl

Once your oatmeal and berries are heated through, pour into a bowl. Add a Tbsp of nut butter and garnish with a few more berries if you want.

And that's it!

This is such an easy, delicious, hearty, and healthy breakfast. I feel like when I start my morning with this oatmeal bowl it has to be a good day :)

Hope you have a great week and let me know if you end up making this oatmeal bowl!

- Evan