This week’s recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

This week, Food editor Russ Parsons gives a tutorial on oatmeal:

“Now that Thanksgiving is out of the way, maybe we can talk about something that is really important: oatmeal.

“Let’s be specific. What most Americans think of as ‘oatmeal’ is really rolled oats. You know, the stuff that comes in the big cardboard tube with the smiling Quaker on the front. These are oat groats (the grain with the husk removed) that have been steamed to soften them and then rolled flat. This process lets you cook them more quickly at home. The difference between rolled oats that are labeled “old-fashioned” and “quick-cooking” is how thickly they’re rolled.

“Real oatmeal is made from raw oat groats that are chopped to a fairly uniform size. It takes longer to cook and has a firmer texture than rolled oats.”

He walks us through the perfect breakfast oatmeal, as well as great homemade granola.

This week’s recipes include:

• Homemade granola
• Smitty’s steak chili and cornbread

When you try one of this week’s recipes or any L.A. Times recipe, let us know! Upload a photo to the “Our Recipes, Your Kitchen” gallery to share your take on the recipe and tell us about yourself. Your photo will be posted online on our L.A. Times Food page.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at noelle.carter@latimes.com.