The Secret to Ina Garten’s Shockingly Simple Morning Microwave Meal

Ina Garten has built an empire on her cooking and hosting prowess, but how does the Barefoot Contessa fuel up for day after day packed to the brim with becoming an absolute icon? Does she whip up a quick eggs benny every a.m.? Does every morning start with intoxicating perfume of bacon and pancakes? Close, but also, not really close at all. Ina has shared that she’s a creature of habit, and lucky for us lazy folks, one of those habits is a shockingly simple two-ingredient breakfast that she’s been eating on repeat for years.

Hoity-toity chefs that boast about “not even owning a microwave” can feel foolish for disparaging the hostess with the mostess, because Ina has gone on record espousing microwave oatmeal.

Ina’s Ideal Breakfast Pairing

You might expect Ina to be the one person in the world that actually puts out those elaborate breakfast spreads that you see in TV shows representing the ideal suburban family, but good ol’ down-to-earth told Bon Appétit, “I’ve had the same thing for breakfast every single day for ten years: coffee and McCann’s quick-cooking Irish oatmeal.” Is it the secret to her success? Is it the key to a happy marriage? Is this one of the reasons she’s beloved by all? How can the lowly microwave oatmeal be good enough for the Contessa?

How to Make Ina’s Tried-and-True Oatmeal

Surely, she must doctor it up with freshly churned butter and homemade compotes, accompanying it with a flight of laminated pastries fresh from the oven, though?! Nah. “I make my oatmeal in my microwave—it’s so easy!” Garten wrote in a Q&A on her website. “I put 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats (I like McCann’s) in a bowl, add 1 cup of water, then microwave it on high for 4 minutes.” She’ll use milk instead of water if she’s feeling fancy, but the base of the long time fave stays pretty consistent. 

Oatmeal Accessories

When it comes to toppings, Ina jazzes up her oats with anything from just a bit of butter and maple syrup to fresh or dried fruit. In any case, one addition is always present: salt. This isn’t to make the dish salty or savory, but to elevate and enhance the flavors that are present and keep the oats from tasting, well, blah. Simple doesn’t mean sub-par, people!