Try Steel Cut Oats and you’ll never go back to packets of oatmeal. Make in advance, reheat in minutes. Add toppings for an endless variety of flavors.
Types of oats
Steel cut oats are whole oat grains known as groats. They are cut into 2 or 3 pieces with steel blades. They take about 20 minutes to cook. After cooking, they are creamy and remain al dente. These make the best oatmeal by far, in my opinion. They are not meant for baking as they won’t cook completely and hard pieces will remain in your cookies.
Rolled oats are, you guessed it, groats that are rolled until flat so that they cook faster. These are the ones that you’ll find in a large cannister. They take about 5 minutes to cook. They are creamy and retain some of the texture of whole oats. They don’t have the chew that steel cuts oats do, but they make a decent oatmeal. These are the ones you want to bake with. They will cook completely and retain some texture in your cookies. Even if you love eating Steel Cut Oats, rolled oats have a place in your pantry.
Instant oats are rolled oats that are then chopped into tiny pieces. These are the ones that you’ll find in a packet. They cook in hot water in about a minute. They are creamy with very little oatmeal texture. You don’t want to bake with instant oats as they will cook away in whatever you’re making.
When I was a kid, rolled oats are the type of oatmeal my mom made. She made them in a saucepan on the stove. Five minutes wasn’t a bad investment time-wise to feed your kids before school. She ladled them into bowls and topped them with butter and brown sugar.
I think it’s a good thing that steel cut oats are making a comeback. They are creamy and delicious and full of texture. The fact that they take a half hour to make shouldn’t keep you from switching to these oats. Make a batch on the weekend and keep it in the refrigerator. You can have Steel Cut Oats in the morning with only 1 1/2 minutes needed to heat them up.
You can top your bowl of steel cut oats with butter and brown sugar for a delicious and simple oatmeal. Or add diced apple and cinnamon. My favorite is pictured here; banana nut oatmeal.
What you need to make my favorite
Steel cut oats
Salt
Butter
Brown sugar
Pecans
Banana
How to Make Steel Cut Oats
Add water and salt to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the oats and stir.
Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Stir them occasionally as they cook. In the last 5 minutes, turn down the heat and stir often so they don’t stick or burn as they thicken.
One cup is a standard serving size and what is pictured here. Top with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar. You can adjust to taste. Add 1/4 cup of pecans broken into pieces over the bowl, you don’t even need to chop them. Top with half a banana, diced. For lighter oatmeal, skip the butter and brown sugar.
This recipe will make about 4 one cup servings. I eat 1/2 cup servings, especially since I usually top mine with fruit and nuts. That means this recipe would give you 8 servings. Either way, these are filling and you probably won’t need anything else to eat for a while.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will be a solid mass once refrigerated. To reheat, place the a cup or half cup of oats into a bowl along with a couple tablespoons of water. No need to measure exactly, just spoon some into your bowl. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once to break up the oats. Top with your favorite toppings.
Banana Nut Steel Cut Oats
Try Steel Cut Oats and you'll never go back to packets. Make in advance, reheat in minutes. Add toppings for an endless variety of flavors.
Ingredients
- For the oats
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups water
- For serving one bowl
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/2 banana
Directions
- Step 1 Add the water and salt to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the oats and stir.
- Step 2 Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Stir them occasionally as they cook. In the last 5 minutes, turn down the heat and stir often so they don’t stick or burn as they thicken.
- Step 3 When the oats are ready you can put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will be a solid mass once refrigerated. To reheat, place a cup or half cup of oats into a bowl along with a couple tablespoons of water. No need to measure exactly, just spoon some into your bowl. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once to break up the oats. Top with your favorite toppings.
- Step 4 The following instructions are for serving one bowl.
- Step 5 One cup is a standard serving size and what is pictured here. Top with the butter and brown sugar. You can adjust to taste. Or for a lighter oatmeal, skip the butter and sugar. Add 1/4 cup of pecans broken into pieces over the bowl, you don’t even need to chop them. Top with half a banana, diced.
- Step 6 This recipe will make about 4 one cup servings or 8 1/2 cup servings.