Savory Steel Cut Oats for breakfast is loaded with protein and provides a good dose of fiber, which will keep you feeling satisfied longer.
Savory Steel Cut Oats
If you never had savory oats, think of hearty grits or risotto! This breakfast for one is made with breakfast sausage, mushrooms, Parmesan and a runny egg and can easily be doubled or quadrupled. It’s a delicious alternative to sugary fruit-topped oatmeal, like these Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, Banana Nut Protein Oats, or this Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bowl.
This steel cut oats recipe is the perfect addition to your weekday winter breakfast rotation. The earthy mushrooms pair so well with the sausage, and a sprinkling of parmesan adds that umami flavor that’s hard to resist. And the runny egg on top is the icing on the cake. Bonus: Since the bowl is made with quick cooking steel cut oats, it’s ready in less than 10 minutes.
Are steel cut oats healthier than rolled oats?
All oats are nutrition-packed, but steel cut oats are a bit healthier than rolled and quick cooking oats. The difference between the three types is how they’re processed. Since steel cut are the least processed, they also have the highest fiber and protein content and rank the lowest on the glycemic index, meaning they will impact your blood sugar less. They take the longest to cook and are the heartiest oat with a chewier texture compared to the others.
Savory Steel Cut Oatmeal Bowl Ingredients
- Oats: I used Bob’s Red Mill quick cooking steel cut oats for a faster cook time. If you can’t find them, regular steel cut oats will work – they will just take longer to make.
- Breakfast Sausage: I used Trader Joe’s raw chicken breakfast sausage, but feel free to use whatever you can find. Turkey sausage would also be good.
- Butter to grease the pan
- Mushrooms: Chop four medium baby bella mushrooms.
- Salt and Pepper for seasoning
- Parmesan: Mix one tablespoon into the oatmeal and sprinkle the other on top.
- Egg: Fry one egg – you want it to be runny.
- Chives: Garnish with chives, but they’re optional, so skip them if you wish.
How to Make Savory Steel Cut Oats
- Oatmeal: Cook the oats in the microwave according to the package directions, adding more or less water depending on your desired consistency.
- Sausage: Cook the sausage on medium heat in a skillet coated with oil. Transfer it to a bowl and cover it to keep it warm once cooked.
- Mushrooms: Melt a teaspoon of butter in the skillet and sauté the mushrooms, salt, and pepper for four minutes. Add the sausage back to the skillet and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Savory Oatmeal Bowl: Mix the remaining butter, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of parmesan into the oats. Top them with the sausage, mushrooms, cheese, egg, and chives.
Variations:
- Vegetarian: Omit the sausage
- Dairy Free: Omit the parmesan cheese
- Egg Free: Omit the egg, there’s still plenty of protein
More Oats Recipes You’ll Love:
- Peanut Butter Breakfast Oatmeal Bowl
- Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal
- Banana Nut Protein Oats
- Overnight Oats with Figs and Honey
- Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas
Your comments are helpful! If you’ve tried this healthy Savory Steel Cut Oatmeal Bowl recipe or any other on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. And if you took a photo of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can reshare it on my Stories!
Savory Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
- ¼ cup quick cooking steel cut oats, such as Bob’s Red Mill
- Olive oil spray
- 2 ounces raw chicken breakfast sausage, I used Trader Joe’s
- 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 4 medium baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
- Chopped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium sized, deep microwave-safe bowl, add oats and water and cook according to package directions, about 7 to 10 minutes. You may need to adjust cook time and/or add extra water to reach your desired consistency. (I used about 2/3 cup water for creamy oats).
- Meanwhile, spray a medium skillet with oil.
- Remove the sausage from the casing, add to the skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until just cooked through (don’t overcook or it will become rubbery).
- Remove sausage from skillet and place in a serving bowl, cover and set aside while you cook the mushrooms.
- Add 1 teaspoon butter to the skillet. When melted, add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Sauté mushrooms for 4 minutes.
- Add the sausage back to the skillet, stir to combine and cook 30 seconds.
- Transfer cooked oats to a bowl, add remaining half teaspoon butter, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon Parmesan and stir.
- Top with mushroom and sausage mixture. Cook the egg runny, or to your likie and top the bowl.
- Add the remaining tablespoon Parmesan cheese and chives, if using.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
- Vegetarian: Omit the sausage
- Dairy Free: Omit the parmesan cheese
- Egg Free: Omit the egg, there's still plenty of protein
Delicious! I tried to put it in my calorie counter and my totals came out 200 calories more! Not sure why it doesn’t match up.
Absolutely love this breakfast, not a big oatmeal fan but this is amazing!!
I love a savory breakfast. This was really good and satisfying. Most of the Skinnytaste breakfast recipes keep me full till lunchtime.
I love oatmeal but need to watch my carbs. This recipe gives me an easy way to enjoy oatmeal and keep my carbs in balance.
Wowsa! What a fantastic recipe! And it works perfectly for meal prep. I made a big batch of the recipe (except the eggs, and using regular steel cut oats, cooked in my Instant Pot). All week I’ve been re-heating some oats and mushrooms in the microwave, then adding a freshly cooked sunny-side up egg, sprinkled with grated parm cheese. So filling, so tasty, so easy!
I’ve never had savory oats before, but this was fabulous! I’m brainstorming all the variations now! Thank you!
Wow!! I had never tried anything but sweet oatmeal and I absolutely LOVE this!
My husband loved it, but wished I’d cooked the oats in broth. I accidentally forgot the parmesan because I made the oats, and the mushrooms and sausage separately the other day. I would like to eat this again, but for lunch or dinner. My 8 year old son was not a fan, but I think he’d like it without the mushrooms.
Delicious! I’m a big breakfast person and this is so delicious. I can wait to make it again. I added onion too.
I didn‘t know savory steel cut oats could taste so good!
Lovely recipe! Most certainly will make this again. Thanks Gina❤️
Haven’t tried it yet but am very anxious to. So you think I could make all but the fried egg the night before and just reheat in the morning adding the fried egg then?
Yes!
I love oatmeal but have to watch my carb intake. This is a wonderful way to be able to enjoy oatmeal again.
This is going to be an all time favorite. I used Publix Italian Chicken Sausage. And I think you could add additional mushrooms. Poached eggs would work well. And also a bit of sriracha. I’m actually planning to make this for company next. It’s that good.
This was great, and really filling! I don’t care for breakfast sausage so I subbed bacon bits, and mixed a Tbsp shredded sharp cheddar in the oatmeal when it came out… also topped with cheddar and it was delicious! I didn’t use parmesan.
One warning… definitely use a deep bowl if making the oats in the microwave! I thought my bowl was deep enough… I thought wrong and had a huge mess! 🤣
This was the first savory hot cereal recipe I’ve ever tried and I was SO impressed! Really delicious!! Thank you!
What would you suggest instead of the mushrooms? My husband and I are both not fans. Thanks!!
Peppers would have about the same calories.
Tofu
This was awesome! I was low on oats so I used quinoa instead, but kept everything else the same. Thank you for the recipe idea!
Great!
Ok, I was seriously skeptical. Love my sweet oatmeal. Just made this exactly as written (omitting the sausage b/c I didn’t have any). WOW!! So good!! I think I’m a savory oatmeal girl now. Great recipe Gina!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent—thank you Gina! I’m always looking for ways to make oatmeal for my “non-oatmeal loving guy” and this definitely worked. Delicious, savory full of great protein and fiber. A quick dribble of sriracha was all that we added….yum!!
This is sooooo tasty! Had it for breakfast three times already this week. 1) I’ve never liked sweet oatmeal. Savory for the win! 2) It has mushrooms, which I love! 3) It’s just so good! This recipe deserves more 5 star reviews. YUM! Also, I added spinach to mine. It’s super versatile, so add what you like, delete what you don’t.
This breakfast is freaking AMAZING. I am never an oats fan, but Gina had me at comparing this to risotto so I figured I’d give it a try. Ohhhh my goodness. SO good!!! Thank you!!!!
This is SOOOOO DARN GOOD! A wonderfully delicious savory breakfast or whatever time of day you make — it is not really GOOD it’s GREAT.
Note – I did not have chicken sausage – but I did have some tempeh – which worked beautifully for this recepie . Treated it as you would the sausage, it adds great taste and fiber – I LOVE tempeh. This is a keeper!
I feel satisfied and full in the best way possible!
So glad you loved it!
This is so delicious! Perfect change of pace for breakfast!
If carbs are the cause of weight gain why is a skinny taste sharing this and can you really lose weight eating oatmeal and grits? Finding the right balance is a struggle. Thank you for your comment.
Foods, including carbs, aren’t good or evil — they’re just food. Choosing whole foods and healthy carbohydrates, like oats and sweet potatoes instead of the refined carbs like white bread, will leave you feeling energized and fueled. It’s all about moderation, and portion control when it comes to eating carbs.
Just a gentle correction: carbs are not “the cause” of weight gain. Processed foods, refined sugars, poor exercise habits, medical conditions without adequate management, laziness, and lack of moderation or portion control are.
Carbs – specifically “slow carbs” (unrefined sugars, found in foods like sweet potato) – are necessary for adequate brain function, especially so if you are exercising regularly.
Gina is right- labelling foods as good or bad is a very swift road to unhealthy and disordered eating habits. 🙂 So is the word “skinny taste”, if we’re being frank – we want to be strong and healthy, not “skinny” – but that’s much less catchy in a website name, hehehe
Not all carbs are horrible for you. Steel cut oats have soooo many healthy benefits, protein, fiber, AND it can help reduce cholesterol levels. Serving size is always important with any carb, but there are some “better choice” carbs out there, such as steel cut oats!
I cook the oats in broth with a splash of coconut aminos, a sprinkle of garlic and onion powder, sautéed mushroom and onion, italian sausage and topped with a gooey soft fried egg. If I’m being virtuous about being healthy I add kale.
sounds great!
Just made this for breakfast and it was delicious and very filling! I added some shallots and a yellow pepper too. Can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow! Thanks for the great idea!
Thanks for the idea. It opens up the door for alot more oatmeal options.
I will try this though lol. With the egg on top and no sausage
Hello,
I made this today and it was delicious! Very satisfying and tasty on a rainy day.
I’m also wondering about the nutritional information for this recipe. The amounts of protein and sodium seem impossibly low for the ingredients, so I’m not sure what to make of the rest. Just a heads up in case it needs review!
Thanks for sharing this delicious idea. It’ll be in regular rotation more!
I used MyFitnessPal to log everything and it was 429 calories, way higher than the calorie count listed.