Oatmeal and Other Hot Cereal Recipes

Start the day well with a warm and healthy breakfast cereal. A bowl of oatmeal -- or bulgur or quinoa porridge -- is one of life’s great culinary pleasures and incredibly versatile. Use different combinations of spices, sweeteners, toppings, and fruits to customize your breakfast.

Martha's basic oatmeal recipe calls for steel-cut oats, which have more texture than rolled; they are just coarsely chopped, less processed than rolled oats. Serve with milk, cream, almond milk, fresh or dried fruit, honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar -- however you like it.

You may not have considered bulgur a breakfast food, but you should. This hot breakfast is full of protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins D and B12. Try sliced dates or apple in place of the strawberries.

That leftover brown rice in the fridge could be your breakfast. It's also good to know you could make a delicious gluten-free breakfast for friends from your pantry.

If you're always pressed for time in the morning, toast and grind your oats in advance for your own instant oatmeal. It's much healthier than the sugar-laden store-bought versions. Bonus: You can create your own flavors, adding anything from nuts and flaxseed to spices -- cinnamon-apple doesn't have to be your only flavor option!

Made with buckwheat kasha, cracked wheat, and grain flakes, this hot cereal has deep, nutty flavors that are complemented by cooking the grains in sweet apple juice and serving with a quick cranberry-orange compote.

Add another flavor dimension to your morning oats by toasting them before cooking.

Barley has a lovely, chewy texture, and the grains hold their shape. In this recipe, quick-cooking barley is paired with almond milk, creating a rich-tasting but healthy breakfast.