Hot Steel Cut Oatmeal – Fast

Many see the onset of cooler weather as ringing in soup season – and count me as one of those many! But when my feet hit that cold floor first thing in the morning, soup isn’t on my mind as much as a nice hot breakfast: something a bit more substantial than grabbing a yogurt or a wonderfully ripe summer peach. As my dad used to say, “In the winter, you need something that will stick to your ribs!” And my favorite cold-weather stick-to-your-ribs breakfast is a comforting bowl of oatmeal made with steel cut oats.

Are you familiar with steel cut oats? Steel cut oats are sometimes known as Irish oats. The whole grains are hulled, toasted, and then cut into cut into pieces with a steel mill. This makes them the least processed version of oats compared to rolled oats and instant oats. Given this minimal processing, they maintain a satisfyingly chewy texture when cooked instead of becoming quite soft as with rolled oats, or downright mushy as with instant oats. I should take a moment to mention that, while I have seen a “quick” version of steel cut oats on my grocer’s shelves, I haven’t personally tried them. From what I understand, these have been re-run through the mill to cut them more finely. Based on feedback from fellow oatmeal lovers, the result ends up lacking the chew and texture so loved in traditional steel cut oats.

Despite my love of steel cut oatmeal, there’s a downside: at 30-40 minutes, it takes much longer to cook than other types of oatmeal. I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot of time to spend on breakfast, especially when I’m switching gears from a grab-and-go summer style breakfast!

The good news is, with very little forethought the night before, your prep time can be cut to about 15 minutes. And the bonus? You’ll have enough steel cut oatmeal to see you through the week! Once the oatmeal is prepared, I store it in the fridge, simply reheating it in the microwave and adding whatever suits my taste on any given morning, whether sweet or savory. I’ve got some of my favorite combinations for you after I tell you how to cook them.

It’s such a simple process, you almost can’t call it a recipe! Note that I’m using less liquid than is called for on the side of your steel cut oats box. This is because as the oats boil, the liquid evaporates. Since we are boiling them for only a fraction of the time called for when preparing them for immediate use, all the liquid that would have otherwise boiled off remains in the saucepan. So, reducing the amount of water at the outset is important.

Basic Steel Cut Oatmeal

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Serves: 6

Prep time: 3 minutes (waiting for water/oats to come to a boil)

Cook time: 10 minutes

Inactive time: 8 hours

1.5 cups (240 g) traditional steel cut oats

5.5 cups water

Large pinch of salt (optional)

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to be sure the oats do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

3, Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally to be sure the oats do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Remove the pan from heat. (If using an electric stove, move the pan aside so it does not remain on a warm burner.) Note that not all the water will be absorbed.

5. Give the oats a final stir. Cover and let sit overnight.

6. In the morning, stir the oats. They will be completely cooked through with a delightful chew.

Note that the oatmeal is thick, without a lot of excess water. The oatmeal is not dripping off the spoon, but it’s certainly edible just as it is. You don’t want a lot of liquid remaining to soften the oats further while they’re stored in the fridge. This also gives you the opportunity to add water or other liquid when you’re ready to reheat if you prefer a looser finished oatmeal. I generally add a couple of tablespoons of some kind of liquid (water, milk, coconut milk, chicken broth), depending on what I’m using to flavor up my oatmeal.

When you’re ready to enjoy your oatmeal, just scoop some into a microwave-safe bowl, cover, microwave for one minute, and stir. If it’s not as hot as you’d like, return it to the microwave for 15-seconds at a time. You may wish to add some liquid (see suggestions below) and you may do so either before or after microwaving. The amount of liquid you add and the amount of time you will need to reheat the oatmeal will depend on the size of your serving.

I look at a bowl of oatmeal like a blank canvas: it doesn’t look like much on its own, but adding some flavorful and colorful bits makes it wonderful! Between what you’re craving and what you have in your pantry, I’m certain you’ll be able to come up with something delightful to start your day! Keeping in mind that amounts are subject to your own tastes and serving volume, here are a few of my favorites to help inspire you.

Cinnamon Sugar Apples & Oatmeal

Keeping Cinnamon Sugar on-hand is one of life’s guilty pleasures!

Mix together:

• 1 part ground cinnamon
• 4 parts sugar

1. Dice about half an apple and toss with cinnamon sugar.

2. Add a bit of water to the oatmeal, stirring before and after microwaving (covered, starting with 1 minute).

3. Top with the apple mixture and a few raisins.

Chai Spice Oatmeal

Store-bought or homemade Chai spice blend is a wonderful savory mix, also great when roasting butternut squash or sweet potatoes. This is my favorite homemade mixture.

Mix together:

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

1. Add some Chai spice to the oatmeal, stirring before and after microwaving (covered, starting with 1 minute).
Add a bit of coconut milk.

2. Top with bits of candied ginger (this will add a touch of sweetness to the Chai spice) and sprinkle with roasted pepitas.

Tropical Oatmeal

This version reminds me of ambrosia salads of yore – minus the marshmallows. Although you can surely add marshmallows in, after all, the heart wants what the heart wants!

1. Microwave the oatmeal (covered, starting with 1 minute) and stir.

2. Add a bit of coconut milk, sections of orange (I like using the little clementines).

3. Top with a generous helping of toasted coconut & a sprinkling of turbinado sugar. 

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Store-bought or homemade pumpkin spice blend is another wonderful savory mix with the bonus of also adding it to your coffee, if you wish. This is my favorite homemade mixture and I like to sprinkle a little bit of turbinado sugar (think of those little packets of ‘Sugar in the Raw’) over the top to sweeten it up just a bit. This is my favorite homemade mixture.

Mix together:

• 1.5 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1.25 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Add some pumpkin spice to the oatmeal, stirring before and after microwaving (covered, starting with 1 minute).

2. Add a bit of milk, coffee and a touch of vanilla extract.

3. Top with toasted almonds and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (this will add a touch of sweetness to the pumpkin spice).

You probably don’t think about putting a fried egg on top of your oatmeal, but it really is delicious! It’s not unlike eggs with grits, except I find the chewiness of the steel cut oats really adds to the dish.

1. Add a bit of chicken broth (or water) to the oatmeal, stirring before and after microwaving (covered, starting with 1 minute).

2. Scoop some chili crisp into the bowl and top with a fried egg.

3. Grind black pepper over the top and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

I hope that by shortening the prep time for oatmeal made with steel cut oats will inspire you to give it a go and enjoy a nourishing hot breakfast that will “stick to your ribs” this winter!

Fall flavors are in abundance at The Chopping Block in October! We have Autumn Apple Fest on the Patio just to start. In addition, combining flavors like we did here becomes more interesting as you understand how they interact with one another, and our Flavor Dynamics class enables you to do just that. Take a peek at our class calendar  to see what’s in store for you!