Porridge - how do you make it interesting?

[Willow33]

I am going for the healthy breakfast route and today got some Asda oats and mixed them with unsweetened almond milk. The oats packet said not to cover the bowl whilst it is heating on the microwave. Result : porridge all over inside of microwave
Yes I followed the instructions.
However am new to this oats thing and need some inspiration please of how you make yours delicious but low on the sugar.

DH does the porridge in our house. We don't have a microwave. Mix oats with water cook for a few minutes until it starts to blend together then add milk and simmer slowly until cooked. We don't add sugar but usually top it with bananas, mixed red fruit (Tesco £2), mixed seeds or ground linseed. For a treat a spoonful of black treacle.

We often cook ours with diced apple and pear. Sprinkle with cinnamon. and brown sugar

Ds has his cooked in milk - a generous splash of double cream, cinnamon, banana and maple syrup - no sugar but I suspect you're after something in the less category.

We do them in a pan too.

Raspberries, honey, grated dark chocolate or coco powder, cinnamon, banana all go well

I add stewed Apple (was given a huge amount of Bramleys a few weeks ago so the freezer is full!) sliced banana, or a spoonful of Nutella goes a long way

Coconut milk or coconut water if your feeling really healthy. Chuck some berries and bananas in.

We do it for the kids but in a very deep bowl as cleaning the microwave is very tiresome! (learnt that lesson).

I turn our tonnes of cooking apples into apple puree with a tiny bit of brown sugar, raisin and cinnamon - i freeze in ice cube trays - it then cools the porridge nicely for DC - who wake up starving and have to eat NOW.

Otherwise i used to make a big batch in the slow cooker (4 hrs on low) with raisins and cinnamon. Then reheat daily in the microwave with a splash of milk. Then add chopped banana.

Otherwise if you are intent on low sugar just tough it out and eventually you will learn to tolerate the taste? Scottish people have it with salt and no sugar my great grandad got to 99 on a daily bowl.

Strawberry jam dolloped in the middle after cooking.
Or honey, that's nice too, as is a sprinkle of sugar.

Or tomatoes......
Tin of chopped toms, 2 heaped tables spoons of cheap porrige oats, baked for 20 minutes and cheese over the top to serve.... But that's not what you asked

It's so quick to make in a saucepan and much easier to get the right consistency too.

try adding grated apple before cooking so it heats through with it. Add raisins and cinnamon at the end.

30-35 grass of oats
180ml unsweetened almond juice
5g pure maple syrup

Then either tbsp almond butter and chopped almonds
Or just strawberries
Or banana, 1/4tsp cinnamon and sultanas
Blueberry and cinnamon
Mango and tbsp chia seeds

love Porridge

Grass???! grams

Our favourites are either cooked with banana, with apple, raisins and cinnamon or with ground linseed and blueberry.

Dried apricots, I don't like my porridge gloopy, so warm the oats up rather than cook them, I find Quaker are the best, finer.

I find the best individual bowls for microwave are the deep French style ones, and don't overfill. The porridge expands up to the top and then sinks back, so shallow dishes are no good.

A sprinkle of dried fruit and nuts, or a splash of maple syrup are nice.

We put grated apples or pears, raisins, sprinkle of cinnamon then top with a little maple syrup.

Oh and always cook in the pan. I find it easier if I'm making it for everyone.

I buy frozen summer fruits. Put them in the bowl with the milk and oats then nuke it for 3 mins. Lovely jubbly.

Coconut milk and frozen raspberries and a few roughly chopped hazelnuts. Amazing.

I also nuke for 3 mins - have got some plastic microwave saucepan things from Lakeland that are great for porridge in the microwave.

Made with water and salt anything else is sacrilege

Banana and cinnamon
Cocoa and hazelnut milk
Stewed Apple
Greek yoghurt

If I'm wanting a treat... Double cream and syrup. Only allowed once or twice a year though :)

Muscovado in mine (made half milk, half water). Yes, it is sugar, but as it's so strong the teeniest amount adds loads of flavour. Am eating a bowl as I type.

You can make it in the fridge too and then reheat in the morning.

www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
She uses kilner jars, but I take porridge oats, some chia seeds, add coconut water and then a layer of yoghurt and finally a layer of fruit. This week apple cooked with mixed spice and maple syrup. It keeps for a week in a plastic food container from ikea.

Do you add extra ingredients at which point?
Any way of doing it in a microwave? as I will do anything to avoid washing a pan