Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. My alarm sounds from my bedside table. Frazzled, I jump out of my bed and see the clock. 7:30 a.m., it reads. I gasp and begin to hastily put on my clothes and pack up my back pack. I am about to walk out the door 10 minutes later when my stomach growls. Oh no. I think. I forgot breakfast. With only five minutes to spare, I dash to the kitchen and quickly pour some oats into a bowl, add water and spices, and then pop it into the microwave.
In situations like this, sometimes all I need is a bowl of warm, delicious oats. With today’s Cheesy Five Minute Oatmeal recipe, I hope to make your mornings more fuss-free and quick.
The flavors. You may have never heard of nutritional yeast, but it is one of my personal favorite ingredients. It’s a great healthy alternative to parmesan cheese. It’s mildly nutty and distinctively ‘cheesy’ flavor can be sprinkled onto anything from soups, sandwiches, spreads, popcorn and even oatmeal. In this recipe, the cheesy, buttery flavor of nutritional yeast mingles with the hot and spicy red pepper flakes and smoky garlic to create a fusion of flavors that I just love.
Aside from it’s amazing taste, nutritional yeast is a great way for vegetarians and vegans alike to get that cheesy flavor while still avoiding all of the adverse effects that dairy has on the body.
When working with ingredients like this, I believe the best way to find out what you like is by experimenting and adding it to many different recipes or foods. Try this delicious recipe when you need something healthy, quick, hearty, and comforting.

Cheesy Five Minute Oatmeal
serves 1 or 2
1 cup rolled oats
1 ¼ cup water (adjust to desired consistency)
3+ tbsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp garlic powder, to taste
½ tsp black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp salt, to taste
optional: red pepper flakes, to taste
top with: sliced or diced tomatoes
Directions:

1. Add all oats, water and salt to a bowl and microwave for one minute.
2. Once heated to desired consistency, mix in the remaining ingredients to taste. Serve!

To make the preparation for this recipe even faster, you could also combine the oats, water and salt in a bowl the night before and heat in the microwave. Then, simply cover it with plastic wrap and pop it into the refrigerator. The next morning you have your pre-made oatmeal ready for any mix-ins or toppings! I hope this recipe makes hectic mornings easier for you, or at least helps you have a healthy and delicious breakfast before you start your day.
By Grace Vance
photos by Grace Vance