For great-tasting oatmeal, ditch the packet
If you think oatmeal comes in a packet, think again.
They know about oatmeal in Ireland and Scotland, where whole-grain, steel-cut oats are popular. Yes, these slightly chewy oats take longer to cook than old-fashioned rolled oats (and way longer than instant oats in a packet), but the results are so much better.
To shorten the usual halfhour cooking time, start the process at night and then finish in the morning. Follow this recipe with your kids.
Overnight Oatmeal With Raisins and Brown Sugar
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus overnight resting time
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Prepare ingredients
3 cups plus 1 cup water, measured separately
1 cup steel-cut oats 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Gather cooking equipment
Large saucepan with lid Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
In large saucepan, bring 3 cups water to boil over high heat. Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner. Stir in oats and salt. Cover saucepan with lid and let sit overnight.
In morning, stir remaining 1 cup water into saucepan with oats and bring to boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is creamy and oats are tender but chewy, 4 to 6 minutes.
Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner. Stir in raisins, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve.
Make it your way
If you don’t like raisins and cinnamon, try these fun flavor combinations.
Banana and Brown Sugar Oatmeal: Use 2 chopped ripe bananas instead of raisins. Leave out cinnamon.
Blueberry and Almond Oatmeal: Use cup blueberries instead of raisins. Use 2 tablespoons almond butter instead of butter and cinnamon. Add cup sliced almonds to oatmeal along with blueberries.
Toasted Coconut Oatmeal: Use 1 cup canned coconut milk instead of water. Use cup toasted unsweetened flaked coconut instead of raisins. Leave out butter and cinnamon.
Nutrition information per
serving: 270 calories, 48 calories from fat, 5 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats), 8 mg cholesterol, 154 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 25 g sugar, 7 g protein.