Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Apple Sausage and Drippy Egg

Quick truth bomb: we've been eating oatmeal wrong our whole lives.

Don't run away. I have to be honest, I had my doubts about savory oatmeal. Don't we only eat oatmeal as a vessel for melty brown sugar, lots of cinnamon and crunchy granola? That was the case until I had a bite of this Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Apple Sausage and Drippy Egg and everything I thought I knew about breakfast went out the window.

This is the actual breakfast of champions. Warm oatmeal, seasoned just slightly with a bit of salt and cracked black pepper, is the base. It's hearty and healthy and comforting. Then comes the star of the show: crumbled apple chicken sausage is cooked over high heat until it becomes brown and slightly caramelized. The texture and slight sweetness is out of this world. A drippy, sunny side up egg, over-seasoned with cracked pepper and red pepper flakes binds the whole dish together and keeps us full for hours. For crunch and freshness, chopped scallions are just the ticket. Oh, and how could I forget the cheddar cheese! Salty, melty, a perfect compliment to the apple and egg.

I don't really know what to say. I just love this oatmeal so much! It is absolutely going to be a regular breakfast for me this fall. And the varieties are endless! Oatmeal is such a versatile base that really anything goes - bacon and caramelized onions with goat cheese? Broccoli and cheddar? Ham and swiss? Ah!

I'd love to know - have you had savory oatmeal before? What are your favorite toppings? If you haven't, are you willing to try it? I don't want to be a nag, but I insist that you should. Oh, also, this meal comes together SUPER quick, sooo...why limit it to just breakfast? This has quick weeknight dinner written all over it!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Let's eat all the apples!

Have you been apple picking this season? I don't care if the internet declares apple picking a "basic" activity--it's fantastically fun and a tradition I am not willing to give up.

At what other time of year can you get 20 pounds of apples for two people and NOT judge yourself?

Besides eating an apple a day for the entire month of October, apple picking gives you the perfect excuse to get cooking with the freshest apples that the season has to offer. A fresh apple is the key to my Apple Pie Oatmeal. Imagine having dessert for breakfast. Well, I am here to make that dream a reality.

I suggest rolled oats or steel cut oats for this dish. They are nutty and rich and pair wonderfully with warm apples, cinnamon, and sweet honey. There is no refined sugar in this oatmeal, making it a deliciously guilt free breakfast you can enjoy all week!

I like to make a big batch of this oatmeal Sunday night, and warm up individual portions every morning. The oatmeal may get thicker the longer it sits in the fridge, but that's nothing a little almond milk can't solve. Simply warm the oatmeal in the microwave with a couple of tablespoons of almond milk until your desired consistency is reached.

May I recommend an extra apple slice or two, chopped pecans, an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and a dollop of vanilla yogurt for serving? Enjoy!

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

In the world of chewy, decadent, delicious cookies, I think these little bebes reign supreme. They are a wonderful marriage of crumbly peanut butter cookies, gooey chocolate chip cookies, and chewy oatmeal cookies. The trifecta, if you will.

Bonus! These cookies are dairy free and contain no flour. Perhaps they aren't completely guilt-free, but I completely support having an extra 2 or 3. They are just the perfect little snack bite!

Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies come together in a mixing bowl with a strong wooden spoon. A little elbow grease goes a long way. Softened cashew butter is our base. Nutty, slightly sweet, totally decadent. To the cashew butter we add unsweetened apple sauce, quick oats, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and a bit of sugar. Because we are worth it, I toss in some mini chocolate chips--totally necessary!

I really cannot say enough good things about these cookies. I am obsessed with cashews and, as a result, absolutely love cashew butter. But don't worry--if you have almond butter or peanut butter on hand, they will work just as well! If you want a more traditional oatmeal cookie, feel free to sub out the chocolate chips for a few raisins instead!

Add these cookies to your next BBQ menu--they are sure to be a hit (and nobody will know they are just a teeeeny bit healthier than most cookies!)

Sunday Morning Oatmeal

In my hometown, there are 4 or 5 different diners all within a 10 minute drive. I cannot say why there are so many diners. Perhaps Long Islanders just really LOVE their breakfasts? I'd buy that.

We went to this one diner for a big breakfast on Mother's Day a few years back. I remember having this outrageously amazing waffle...it was a whole wheat waffle (and therefore, of course, completely healthy and guilt free...). The waffle was topped with strawberries, bananas, walnuts, and maple syrup. Amazing,

I was thinking about this waffle recently. I do not know why this waffle randomly popped up in my brain. I think about food a lot...it's a whole thing.

I don't have a waffle maker, but I knew I wanted something filling and delicious this morning for breakfast.

I left out the waffle part of this strawberry-banana-walnut waffle...and then I made oatmeal.

It's genius, really. Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast blank canvas. It's a bit more nutritious than a waffle. But with the right toppings, it was just as delicious.

I'm calling this "Sunday Morning Oatmeal." First, because I made it on Sunday morning. And second, because it was the perfect compliment to a cup of coffee and good book on the porch--something that I try to enjoy every Sunday.