Alton Brown’s Just Right Oatmeal Is ‘Pretty Dang Near Perfect’

There’s something wonderfully cozy about a hearty serving of oats, and culinary personality Alton Brown says his aptly named ‘Just Right Oatmeal’ fits the bill.

Here’s how to make the Good Eats star’s breakfast perfection in a bowl.

Alton Brown on how oats do their job

In his recent cookbook Good Eats 4: The Final Years, Brown explained what it is about oats that makes them so good for us.

“Besides unsaturated fat, carbohydrates, minerals, protein, and vitamins, oats contain a heck of a lot of fiber, aka the portion of a plant that we eat but can’t easily digest,” he writes.

When we eat oats, brimming with soluble fiber, Brown adds, “you’re going to stay full longer and likely eat less. This brand of fiber also slows the absorption of glucose into the body, which means you’re less likely to experience a sugar high and its inevitable result—a sugar crash.”

The chef’s reloaded Just Right Oatmeal starts with an unusual step

Many oatmeal lovers are used to just simmering oats for a while with water or milk before serving them up. The Iron Chef host, however, starts his porridge differently in his reloaded version. He toasts the dry oats before doing anything else with them. While it isn’t necessary, “it brings a lot of flavor to the party, so I take the time,” he says in the cookbook.

If you have a toaster oven, Brown suggests spreading your oats out on the oven’s pan and toasting them for about five minutes, “until slightly brown and nutty smelling.”

Don’t stray too far from the appliance, though, he adds: “Watch the oats closely, as they can go from perfect to burned in the blink of an eye.” (If you don’t have a toaster oven, the chef says a 350-degree F oven for about 15 minutes will do the job.)

You can find the complete recipe on Alton Brown’s website, or in Good Eats 4: The Final Years.

Brown says his revised oatmeal recipe is about as delicious as the classic breakfast can get

Of course, there are as many ways to enjoy oatmeal as there are people on the planet: savory with grated cheese, soaked overnight with milk and fruit, or even plain with a simple dash of salt. For Alton Brown, however, his oats reboot is how he likes his oatmeal, with quinoa, kosher salt, and hot water.

“Fluffy, nutty, and a tiny bit crunchy, …this oatmeal is pretty dang near perfect” he continued. “I like to melt on a pat of quality butter and top with a spoonful of good fruit preserves. When they’re in season, I add fresh blueberries for the last few minutes of cooking and then stir them in. Oh, and toasted walnuts are nice too.”

After toasting the oats, they’re placed in a two-quart saucepan with the quinoa, salt, and boiling water.

Important tip from the chef: go ahead and stir the oats and quinoa now because once you’ve put the pan on low heat and covered it, you’ll need to leave it undisturbed for nearly 20 minutes “without lifting the lid or messing with the pan in any way, fashion, or form.”

Even after it’s done cooking, Brown says not to stir the oatmeal; instead, “fluff” it with a fork or it “will go gummy on you.”

You’re likely hankering a nice bowl of Alton Brown’s oatmeal at this point, so get to it!