can I please have your top porridge tips..

[mamateur]

I need to make delicious porridge for my slightly porridge-suspicious 12 year old.

Any recipe ideas?

Which are the best oats?

Is it possible to make a basic one, then add different things to it?

Please save me from his insistence that I buy chocolate shreddies

Add mashed ripe banana, plus maybe a bit of maple syrup, or dark brown sugar. Beats chocolate shreddies into a cocked hat

deep, which oats do you use?

Am loving the ripe banana idea, we do suffer from manky banana syndrome..

Don't buy cheap oats

Make with a 50/50 milk/water for a bit of extra creaminess

Don't forget the salt and keep stirring

Serve with brown sugar/golden syrup

also, grate (with the fine side of grater) some apple into it. then you don'tneed to add anything else to sweeten

I use sainsbury's organic oats and full fat milk for my DD's. Grated apple or pear is nice, raisin and cinnamon, bluberry (turns it a funky purple as well ), a bit of honey. You can try it with anything really.

So you make it fresh every morning?

How long do you cook the oats for?

i do it fresh each morning, just heat until it looks nice and thick!

but you can make it quicker by leaving it all to soak overnight in the fridge, then you basically just need to heat it

I like scott's oats best. 50/50 milk and water, and when it's in the bowl add brown sugar and cold milk (or cream, yum). Also really nice to add raspberries or blueberries but of course by this point it's getting quite expensive... i don't have it every day!

Last night I layered frozen raspberries, porridge oats and vanilla yoghurt into a lunchbox and left it overnight. It was all lovely and gooey and sweet-tasting by breakfast time.

If I have porridge, I have to make it with all milk and then have golden syrup and brown sugar on it. A blob of cream good too. That is why I don't have porridge!

sainsbury's shop total has just leapt up...

thanks so much, Bellig, will try that as have some frozen raspberries..

I make it fresh every morning, twice as much milk as oats and in the microwave for 4.5 mins on full power, then leave to stand for 5 mins.

If he wants chocolate for breakfast, you could drizzle cream on top then grate a couple of squares of dark chocolate on top of that. No reason why you couldn't have bananas or raspberries in there too if you're worried about being unhealthy.

One way of getting the fruit in without it costing too much is to make purees with gluts of whatever is in season, adding spices if you like. Rhubarb and ginger is delicious, or rhubarb and orange, or apple and cinnamon, or pear, etc. Then you freeze into ice cube trays and pop into a bag once they're frozen. You can put frozen berries in whole too - much cheaper than fresh ones and they defrost in a tic.

Whatever you do, you will need to add a pinch of salt to the oats even if you want to use a sweet topping.

Alternatively, if you don't want to cook the oats, try Bircher Meusli: soak the oats overnight in apple juice. Mix with yoghurt and chopped fruit or raisins in the morning.

DD likes it with banana, blueberries, sultanas and honey.

DS likes it with brown sugar or a dollop of raspberry jam or some grated chocolate if he has been a very good boy.

They both like it with stewed apple, too, actually.

I make it in the microwave of only one person is having it, in a pot on the stove if more than one. With milk for the kids, half milk/half water for me.

I do what grapesandmoregrapes does,without the standing.I never add salt - I'd have Tesco organic oats without anything,but for DS I'd use quaker oats - usually with golden syrup.The organic oats come out chewier...

I like demerara sugar and butter with it too,but I wouldn't have that very often!

For me, I put 50g (half a cup) of quaker oats in to a hot saucepan, heat them till you can smell the oats a little bit, then pour in just over a cupful (300ml) of full fat milk. Reduce heat and stir while it comes to the boil and thickens up, only about 3-4 mins. I serve it as soon as it's nice and thickened, sometimes with a bit of sugar, and sometimes with some banana... often just plain though - it's lovely and creamy.

bump

Smash I really like your oat toasting idea - very nice.

Have just got back from Waitrose with some expensive porridge paraphernalia, including maple syrup . DN went off this morning without eating anything at all so if I make this tomorrow he might at least try it.

If you don't do dairy you don't need milk in porridge, just filtered water, leave to soak ,I eat soaked small org oats with molasses and cinnamon in the summer. Or cooked large oats in winter.

at porridge paraphernalia. Never tried maple syrup on anything other than pancakes... mmm.

I use those cup measures and do twice as much milk to oats. I but the Tesco value oats and for myself I do 1/2 cup oats to 1 cup milk and put it in the microwave for 2 mins, stir and check then another minute or so if needed.
For DS who is 3.5 I do it with banana and honey.

I made porridge with maple syrup and blueberries this morning. DN refused to touch it despite saying last night he would have some for breakfast. He said he wasn't hungry and went to school on nothing.

DP ate 3 whole bowls though!