Quaker Oatmeal 2 Ways - Birthday Cake & Parmesan Chive

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BringYourBestBowl #Walmart #CollectiveBias

You know what I love most about a warm, hearty bowl of oatmeal? How versatile it is. Oatmeal can be anything it wants to be or anything you want it to be, oatmeal doesn't conform or follow any rules. It can be as sweet or as savory as you'd like, as wet or as dry or even as warm or as cold. That's what I love so much about it. It's a staple in our home and our go-to breakfast choice most days of the week. Today I want to share with you a few of our favorite ways to jazz up our favorite breakfast food and maybe that will inspire you to create your own original oatmeal creation.

First, make sure you have the proper ingredients before you get started. My local Walmart has all the Quaker® oatmeal you could ever need. Look at that selection! 

So, before we get started with these delicious creations, I wanted to show you something that's been a big hit in my house. Customizable spoons. My daughter loves sparkly, cute things and she also loves washi tape and all other decorative tapes for that matter. We have found that it makes breakfast even more enjoyable when you have an adorable spoon to eat it with. So, here's a little tutorial to help you make the perfect breakfast utensil:

Sparkle Spoon Tutorial:

Materials: Scissors, spoon with plastic handle, decorative sparkle tape.

Step 1: Gather materials. Scissors, spoon with plastic handle and decorative sparkle tape.

Step 2: Cut tape to desired length. I like to leave a small part of the end visible, just because it's cute.

Step 3. Wrap one side of the tape over the backside of the spoon.

Step 4. Wrap remaining side of tape over the back of the spoon. 

Step 5. Enjoy your sparkle spoon! You can also apply ModPodge over the whole thing once you're done wrapping, to help it stay secure. I like to change out the tape on our spoons and make them customizable, so I don't ModPodge ours.

The first step to total breakfast awesomeness is rounding up all your ingredients. Without your ingredients you have nothing. Literally. You will have no oatmeal. And then you will be sad.

Pretty much what I have for you today is an adult version and a child's version of our "Best Bowl" of oatmeal. The child's version is sweet, packed with delicious, buttery cake flavor and pretty sprinkles... and, oh, chocolate chips, of course! The adult's version is savory and more complex. More "adult," if you will. We've got some herbs, some cheese, some salty, crispy pancetta and a perfectly crisp fried egg. With runny yolk. Because yum.

Prep and chop anything that needs prepped and chopped. Like my chives. My parmesan was already shredded for me, so I just got to plop it down on the board without doing any work. Which is amazing in the morning, before school. Quick and easy!

Then you can start assembling your oatmeal. The best part. Sprinkles! Sprinkles are the best part of anything, really. They add so much color and fun. This oatmeal was instantly transformed into a party in a bowl. Who doesn't want a party in a bowl, first thing in the morning?

Look at that. Who wouldn't want to eat that? I mean, really? It's pretty much every child's dream. You show this to any kid and just watch as their eyes light up and the saliva begins to pool. Hello, perfect (sweet) bowl of oatmeal!

Oh, and you... Look at you. With all your ooey gooey cheesyness, and your salty goodness and your crispy eggness. Take one bite of this and tell me it doesn't taste like something you'd find at a nice restaurant. It's oatmeal's older, more successful cousin that lives in the Hamptons. Sometimes it comes to visit for the holidays and other times it's just too caught up with work. And the stock market. And maybe you'll see it next year, or maybe you'll get a call on your birthday. Who knows.

There you have it, folks. Now that I've brought you my family's best bowls, it's time for you to share yours! Right now, Quaker® is having a "Bring Your Best Bowl" contest that ends on March 12th! You can win $250,000 and have your oatmeal created and sold in stores later this year! How awesome would that be? Make sure to ENTER, so you don't miss out on your chance to win!

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Birthday Cake Oatmeal:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 package Quaker® Instant Oatmeal, Original flavor
• 1/4 cup dry yellow cake mix
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons hot milk
• 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles, divided
• 2 teaspoons mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

Place oatmeal, cake mix and butter in a small bowl, add water and stir well to combine. Set aside for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons rainbow sprinkles and 1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips. Top oatmeal with remaining sprinkles and chocolate chips. Serve and enjoy!

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Parmesan Chive Oatmeal:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 package Quaker® Instant Oatmeal, Original flavor
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons pancetta, cooked until crisp
• 1 fried egg

Directions:

Place oatmeal, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper and chives in a small bowl, add water and stir to combine. Top with crispy pancetta and a fried egg. Serve and enjoy!