Oatmeal transforms into tender, crunchy-edged savory cakes here, topped with a fried egg and cheese. It's a weeknight dinner that tastes like brunch, using what you have on hand.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 500 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 44 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Stir together the oatmeal from 2 packets with 1 cup hot water until thick, about 2 minutes. Let it cool for 3 minutes while you grate 2 ounces of cheddar cheese. Fold the cheese into the oatmeal along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the surface shimmers, drop 2 large spoonfuls of oatmeal into the pan and press each into a thin cake with the back of the spoon. Cook until the edges brown and crisp, 4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until crisp, another 3 minutes. You should have 2 cakes.7 min
3. Push the cakes to the side of the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the empty side and crack 2 eggs into it. Cook until the whites set but the yolks stay loose, 3 to 4 minutes, spooning the butter over the yolks halfway through.4 min
4. Slide one oat cake onto each plate and top each with one fried egg.

Note Swap sharp cheddar for gruyere or aged gouda. Leftovers keep two days chilled; reheat the cake in a skillet with butter and serve with a fresh egg. Pair with a simple greens salad dressed in vinegar and oil, or sautéed spinach.