This last week I heard some of the most wonderful words from my son… “Mommy, could you make some oatmeal for breakfast today? With red raisins?”
Be still my heart. Was he actually asking for something extremely nutritious for him- and something that I absolutely love? I love a good bowl of oatmeal, and I don’t make it nearly often enough. Which is silly, because it’s a ridiculously affordable breakfast, and the variety you can make is as limited as your imagination.
I guess I have an affinity for porridge in general, be it oatmeal, grits, or a bowl of Cream of wheat, they all make a very satisfying breakfast for me, but just how does one make a really good bowl of oatmeal?
You need a pot and about 15 minutes of time total. You also need old-fashioned rolled oats. Please- do yourself a favor, and if the only oatmeal you’ve ever had has been of the instant variety, then try this super easy method for cooking real oatmeal. The straight up old-fashioned oats will take a few more minutes to cook- but they are so much better than they quick cooking or instant varieties. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats- that’s what you want. And since you have that on hand anyway from making Homemade Granola, let’s make some breakfast.
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a saucepot. Add a pinch of salt, and then stir in 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats. Return the pot to a boil, and then turn the heat down to simmer. Set the timer for 5 minutes. You can stir occasionally if you’d like, but it’s not necessary as long as you’ve turned down the heat.
At the five minute mark, you should not have that much liquid left in your pot. This is good- it means the oatmeal is absorbing it. I take the time at this time to add in whatever I’m adding in. 2 Tablespoons of craisins or raisins are perfect. You can add any chopped fruit like apples or pears- a handful of blueberries, some peaches, pineapple chunks, and any nuts as well. What? Never had nuts in your oatmeal? You’re missing out. If you want to add a banana to your oatmeal, use a really ripe one, mash it up, and stir it in with some walnuts for an amazing banana-walnut oatmeal.
I also add, at this point 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon if I’m using it.
Let the oatmeal cook for another 5 minutes. Do stir once or twice this time. After this five minutes is up- your oatmeal is ready for service. You should have one generous serving of oatmeal- which can be multiplied up as many times as you need. When I serve oatmeal, I like to eat it with a sprinkling of sugar, and a drizzle of milk. But again, that can change up too. In this instance, we added a healthy scoop of some sugared strawberries we had leftover from pancakes this week. Holy cow- was that tasty!
In the past I have also made a big pot of oatmeal up and then put the leftovers in the fridge- warming it up in the mornings for breakfast. This works pretty well too- although it’s not quite as good as fresh.
There’s nothing like a hearty bowl of oatmeal to kick off your day. When you make your own instead of relying on the pre-made packets, you’re also controlling the amount of sugars you take in. I would much rather be eating a teaspoon of sugar that I know I added- instead of the 15 teaspoons hiding in a bowl of Lucky Charms.
Okay, maybe not that much… well, actually, just for kicks. Let’s say you pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms. A serving is only 3/4 of a cup, so realistically, let’s say you double that when you pour your bowl ( I know I do!). Then you add 1/2 a cup of milk to the bowl. The Lucky Charms have 11 grams of sugar per serving, your milk 5 grams for half a cup. You are up to 27 grams of sugar. In teaspoons that comes out to… 6 3/4 teaspoons of sugar for breakfast.
Care for some oatmeal instead?
Easy, Homemade Oatmeal
2 cups water 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats pinch of salt 1/2 cup raisins, craisins, or other diced fruit 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional, but adds layer of flavor)Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the oats and the pinch of salt. Return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes have passed, add the desired fruit and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve piping hot with your choice of additions.
Makes oatmeal for 2 adults or 1 adult and 2 children.