Steel-cut or rolled oats become a savory dinner when cooked in broth and topped with a fried egg and whatever greens you have. This is the way to use up that open box of oats sitting in the pantry, and it comes together in half an hour.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 710 calories a serving, 70 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 40 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup oats, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, to taste pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 eggs, 1 clove, sliced garlic, 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 2 handfuls fresh spinach or kale.

1. Bring 3 cups broth to a boil in a pot with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 sliced garlic clove.
2. Stir in 1 cup oats and 1 teaspoon salt, then reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring often, until the oats are creamy and the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 20 minutes.20 min
3. While the oats cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and crack 2 eggs into the pan, cooking until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft, about 4 minutes.4 min
4. Stir 2 handfuls fresh greens into the oats at the end of cooking until they wilt, then taste and season with pepper.
5. Divide the oats between two bowls, top each with one fried egg, and drizzle with any fat left in the skillet.

Note Swap the greens for any cooked vegetables you have on hand. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth. Serve with hot sauce or a squeeze of lemon on the side.

Half a jar of oats cooks down into a savoury dinner in one pan, finished with eggs and sharp garlic. This is how you empty the oat jar when dinner time comes and the fridge is thin.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 300 calories a serving, 8 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1.5 cups [150g] oats, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 eggs, 2 handfuls spinach or kale.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in 1.5 cups of oats and toast them, stirring often, until they smell nutty and golden, about 4 minutes.4 min
2. Pour in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring now and then, until the oats are tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.12 min
3. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and stir them into the oats along with 2 handfuls of greens; cook until the greens wilt, about 1 minute.1 min
4. Push the oats to one side of the skillet and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the empty space. Crack 2 eggs into the pan and cook until the whites set but the yolks stay runny, about 3 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.3 min
5. Divide the oats and greens between two bowls and top each with one egg.

Note Swap the greens for any vegetable that cooks fast: diced tomato, shredded carrot, or corn. Leftovers keep for two days, reheated gently in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with hot sauce or grated cheese on the side.

Oats make a supper when you cook them like risotto, creamy and savory. This shelf is bare, so we build dinner from what you have with two cups of oats as the main event, finished with a soft egg and whatever leafy greens are on hand or in the freezer.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 25 at the stove.

About 530 calories a serving, 20 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat. From USDA figures for 78% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 2 cups oats, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 eggs, 4 cups water, 2 cups fresh or frozen greens, 2 ounces [55 grams] Parmesan cheese.

1. Dice 1 small onion and mince 2 cloves garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a wide pot over medium-high heat until the butter foams, then add onion and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 3 minutes.5 min
2. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 2 cups oats and stir constantly to coat with fat, 1 minute, until they smell toasty.2 min
3. Add 4 cups water, one cup at a time, stirring often and letting each cup absorb mostly before adding the next, about 15 minutes total. The oats should be creamy and tender, not soupy.15 min
4. Stir in 2 cups greens, fresh or frozen, and cook until they wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls.2 min
5. Crack 2 eggs into a small pan with a splash of water, cover, and cook over medium heat until the whites set but the yolk stays soft, about 3 minutes. Slide one egg onto each bowl of oats and top with grated Parmesan.3 min

Note Swap the greens for spinach, kale, or chard. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for two days and reheat gently with water to loosen them. Serve as is, or add a squeeze of lemon juice and hot sauce on the side.