Basic porridge recipe

Serves 6

2 cups (180g) rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup milk
3 cups water
Pinch salt

Place oats, milk, water and salt in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat for 5-minutes, or until it reaches a gentle simmer. Leave to gently simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until creamy. Top up with a little extra milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Slow cooker porridge

You can also make porridge in the slow cooker, which will reward you with an extra creamy final product. Simply leave out the milk in the above recipe and swap it for water. Set your slow cooker to low and allow the mix to cook for 8 hours, or overnight. When ready to serve, stir through a little milk to add a touch of richness.

Quinoa alternative

Can’t eat oats? No problem! This quinoa alternative has all the signature creaminess of the original. Simply wash and rinse 1 ½ cups quinoa, then add to a saucepan with 4 cups cold water. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Stir through 1 ½ cups milk and cook for a further 10 minutes or until creamy.

Something on top

Once you have your bowl of porridge, try topping it with one of these tasty additions. From fresh fruit to compotes, there are countless options to add more flavour to your bowl:

Poached quinces

One of autumn’s most beautiful fruit, don’t let the season past you by without adding poached quince to the top of your porridge. For all the steps and flavour ideas, try this simple guide:

How to poach quinces

Compotes

Easy to make with both fresh and dried fruit, these thick rich sauces are made with a mix of fruit that’s slowly cooked in a sugar syrup until it breaks down. These easy sauces are the perfect addition to porridge, and can be flavoured with spices to suit your preferences:

How to make a fruit compote

Caramel bananas

Add a touch of decadence to your porridge by topping it with caramel bananas. Simply stir together 125g brown sugar and 2 tablespoons water over a low heat until dissolved, then increase the heat to medium and cook until caramelised (approximately 2-3 minutes). Add 100ml thickened cream and stir until smooth, then fold through 2 sliced bananas and spoon onto your porridge.