Ina Garten Has Eaten the Same Breakfast for 10+ Years—Once I Tasted It, I Got Why

“There are some things I always have in the house,” Garten told Bon Appetit in a 2017 interview, “like a bowl of lemons on the counter (and other citrus), butter, eggs, Parmesan cheese and chocolate. Oh, and oatmeal. I’ve had the same thing for breakfast every single day for ten years: coffee and McCann’s quick-cooking Irish oatmeal with lots of salt. I don’t want it to taste like wallpaper paste.”

There are plenty of quick-cooking oats (meaning oats that are steamed and rolled, so that they cook faster than old-fashioned oats, but not as fast as instant oatmeal) on the market. But McCann’s has been making oatmeal for more than 150 years, and its quick-cooking version is ready in three minutes, according to the box. They come from County Kildare and County Meath in Ireland, an area known for producing some of the most high-quality oats in the world, due to its moist, temperate environment that’s conducive to growing full, plump grains and particularly rich soil that makes the oats more nutritious.

“I make my oatmeal in my microwave—it’s so easy!” Garten raved in a Q&A on her website. I put ⅓ cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann’s) in a bowl, add 1 cup water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes. I add a pinch of salt, a splash of milk, a little bit of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, and stir it all in. My favorite breakfast!”

But in another Bon Appetit article from 2014, Garten reveals that the butter-maple combo is more of a treat than her day-to-day oatmeal. “It’s actually quick-cooking, and I do it in the microwave with milk and salt. Most people don’t do their oatmeal with salt, and I think that without it, it just tastes like wallpaper paste. With salt, I think it’s delicious. And if it’s my birthday, I’ll put maple syrup in it—but only on my birthday.”

I was particularly intrigued by the addition of salt. The only oatmeal I’d ever really enjoyed has been of the brown sugar-cinnamon persuasion. But I was confident in salt’s ability to enhance any dish’s flavor, which made me anticipate the oat-iest bowl of oatmeal I’d ever eat. Could a tasty bowl of the stuff only be a splash of milk and a sprinkle of salt away? 

I began with the most bare-bones version: ⅓ cup oats, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, stirred and microwaved. Ina’s ratio is different than the instructions on the box, which say to use 1 cup of water for every ½ cup of oatmeal, but I went with her advice. I wouldn’t have minded a thicker consistency, but I was really surprised by the flavor. The oats were supremely nutty and…well, oat-y. The salt boosted their flavor, which gave the oatmeal an irresistibility I never would have anticipated. I can totally see crowning this with scallions, a jammy egg, butter and soy sauce for a savory twist, or herby sautéed mushrooms. (Bacon would work, too.)

Once I adjusted the salt to my liking, I added a pat of butter, a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a drizzle of honey (unbeknownst to me, I was unfortunately out of maple syrup). This turned the oatmeal downright indulgent. The subtle yet undeniable play between sweet and salty made it feel ~special~, like something more than oatmeal. For this iteration, I suggest topping it with fresh or dried fruit (apples, bananas and peaches would be great), cinnamon sugar, nuts and seeds, caramelized onions, chocolate chips or even freshly grated cheese.

Oh, Ina. How could I have doubted you?