Thoughts:
Good Heavens.
Talk about the best side dish I’ve encountered all winter. It’s rich, creamy, and full of cheesy goodness. While it’s undeniably a hearty accompaniment to a main course, it is also absolutely amazing as breakfast on a day when one just needs a little extra oomph. And it’s gluten-free, and needs only a few ingredients.
The only downside? This recipe ostensibly makes enough for two large servings, but I could easily scarf it all down myself. Next time, we might need a giant crockpot version…
Where in Westeros?
Definitely up in the North. This is stick-to-your-ribs comfort food that will leave you feeling full and happy even in the chilliest weather. If the Night’s Watch sent samplers south, their recruitment rates might just spike.
Cheesy Oats Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 2 oz. cubed ham (about 1/2 cup)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan, and add the oats. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the ham, put the lid on, and cook for around 25 minutes.
Check on the oats- if they have not yet absorbed all of the stock and turned soft, continue to cook until they do/are. At that point, remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy, and dream of spring!
I absolutely adore savory flavored oatmeal; my general preference being just plain old salted and buttered (steel or old-fashioned rolled; either is awesome). This is going on the breakfast menu for the weekend. Thank you.
Ooh, this sounds perfect for dinner tomorrow night! I have ham in my freezer, and it’s cooler weather at night this week.
Do you think this would work for grits?
I really liked the flavor of the oats but I did have some problems getting the steel cut oats to absorb all the liquid. It might make an interesting feast item.
Regard that as a hearty oat soup, and it could as easily be dinner–particularly with a vegetable tossed in; onion comes to mind.
(Oats are relegated to breakfast, cookies, and feedbags, at least in my Ohio social circles; their capacity to thicken savory soups and stews, in much the same way as barley or rice, doesn’t seem to occur to a lot of people. I once made a variant of your Mutton-and-Onion Broth, swapping oats for the barley and adding mushrooms, that some true Scotsmao somewhere must surely have approximated.)
I’m from Ohio too and you are absolutely right. But I’m going to start changing that tonight!
Huzzah! Long live the oat!
These were great! Make sure your oats haves been sealed tightly, or you’ll get a serious scare (I hear)!
One I found a new box of (thoroughly inspected) oats, this recipe was great. I added a ton of cheese on top of what the recipe calls for, and it helped soak up some of the extra liquid. (Ok, so I may have shifted the oats-to-cheese ratio.) It was delicious, but the way I prepared it makes it a once-a-winter type thing