My story of oatmeal risotto starts at breakfast. To be more specific, it starts at my torment over what to make for this "most important" meal of the day. Most breakfast dishes involve either baking or eggs - both of which pose a problem in our family. Baking is not my forte, and eggs are on Jason's forbidden foods list, which often leaves me at a loss of what to make for breakfast. One sleepy Saturday morning, Jason had an idea: "How about oatmeal?" I didn't have the best childhood memories or oatmeal. It always seemed gray, goopy, and bland, but since it didn't involve baking or eggs, I was all for it. The home cooking groupies, on chowhound.com, all seemed to be in love with McCann's Irish steal cut oats. I have to admit that Irish food is not my cup of tea and I don't usually seek out ingredients from that part of the world. But I was curious to see what all the hype was about. Since McCann's was available at my local Whole Foods, I decided to give it a shot.

When I opened the box, I had to check the label to make sure these were really oats. Instead of the flat white flakes with a line through the middle, these oats looked brown and grainy, like cracked wheat. With mild concern over this strange sort of oatmeal, I decided to proceed with instructions on the box. 30 minutes of simmering later, I got a pot of earthy goodness that didn't resemble the oatmeal I was used to at all. There was something wholesome and wonderful about having my house fill with nutty perfume while I drank my cup of coffee and read. I had brown sugar and raisins ready to go, but my instinct told me to add a piece of butter and a sprinkle of course salt instead. Jason added sugar and raisins to his and it was the best breakfast oatmeal we've ever had, but my simple "salt and butter" version held a promise of an interesting savory dish. These oats had the bite and starchiness or a risotto, which gave me an idea.

For my next oatmeal experiment, I toasted them with a little olive oil before adding the water. This brought out the nutty flavor and helped the grains retain that al dente feel. In the end I stirred in some chives, butter, and parmesan cheese. The results were simply heavenly. With some roasted mushrooms, this oatmeal risotto made a stunning dinner on a chilly autumn night. I don't think that's what Italians meant by risotto or Irish meant by oatmeal, but when a dish is this good, it's hard to argue about its authenticity.

Oatmeal Risotto with Mushrooms

This dish only works with steal cut oat groats. McCann's is the most commonly available brand and can be purchased at most supermarkets. Sorry, no rolled oats, and definitely no instant oats. Before splurging on a can of McCann's that retails for $3-4 per pound, check if your local Whole Foods Market carries steal cut oat groats in the bulk section. They cost less than a dollar a pound and taste just as good.

Serves 4 as appetizer or side dish
Serves 3 as entree

For Mushrooms: 2 Tbsp olive oil 4 large portabella mushroom caps Salt and pepper to taste

For Oatmeal Risotto: 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup steal cut oat groats 3 and 3/4 cups water 2 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt) 1 Tbsp butter 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish 1/4 cup finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish

Roast the mushrooms:

1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Drizzle baking dish with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
3. Wipe mushrooms with a paper towel and place them in a baking dish with their gills facing up. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp of oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast in the bottom third of the oven until mushrooms release their juices, and get nicely browned, 20-25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.
5. Cut mushrooms into thin slices.

While mushrooms are roasting, make oatmeal risotto:

1. Set thick bottomed pot over medium heat. When pot is hot, add the oil and oats and cook stirring constantly until oats start to smell nutty, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add water and salt, turn up heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until oatmeal thickens, but still retains a bit of a bite, 25-30 minutes. If all the water gets absorbed and the oatmeal starts to stick before it's done to your liking, add 1/4 cup more water and cook a few minutes longer.
3. Stir in butter, parmesan, sliced mushrooms with their juices, and chives.
4. Divide risotto among 4 plates and sprinkle with additional chives and parmesan. Serve.