This recipe takes about 25-30 minutes from start to finish. If you feel that's too long to fit into your morning routine, I hear you! One awesome thing about steel cut oats is you can easily make a double batch and refrigerate to use throughout the week (just rewarm in the oven or microwave). It holds up and doesn't go to mush like traditional oatmeal sometimes does when saved for too long.

In a small/medium size pot, bring the milk and water to a boil. Add the oats and stir for one minute. Then turn the heat down to a simmer and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes. I'll give it a stir every few minutes to avoid any oats getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, but you don't have to baby it quite as much as, say, risotto.

During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking (when it looks like most of the moisture has absorbed into the oats), add the cream cheese and your sweetener of choice. Taste and add more sweetener if you like.

Place in a small bowl and use a spoon to get the surface as even as possible. Then top with granulated sugar (or super fine/baker's sugar works well too if you have some on hand). Torch until the top begins to caramelize. Serve warm with fresh fruit.