Do you eat steel-cut oats for breakfast? This time of year I turn to them gladly: nothing like a bowl of hot, tender, pearly oats, all creamy and delicious. Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook than rolled oats, but that's not a problem. Set them up the night before and you'll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly. It takes only two or three minutes to heat them up. Here's how I prep my oatmeal the night before.
I call for 1 cup oats here. This will make enough for 3 to 5 servings. Remember, when you make steel-cut oats you really should make enough for a whole week, or at least several days. Unlike gluey, sticky rolled oat oatmeal, steel-cut oatmeal is great when reheated the next day. It just gets creamier — not ickier.
So make a big pot and eat out of it all week.
What You Need
Ingredients
1 teaspoon butter or olive oil
1 cup steel-cut oats
3 cups water
3-fingered pinch salt
1 cup milk (optional)
Tools
2-quart saucepan
Instructions
1. Start this the night before you want to have steel-cut oatmeal. Measure out your oats. This quantity will make about 4 servings.
2. Heat about 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Add the oats and fry them for about 3 minutes, or until they start smelling toasty.
3. Pour in the water and add the salt. Stir.
4. Bring to a rolling boil.
5. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Leave it on the stove, and go to bed!
6. The next morning, uncover the pan and bring the oatmeal back up to a simmer. If you would like thinner and creamier oatmeal, stir in a cup of milk before reheating.
When the oatmeal is warm, scoop out and enjoy!
Additional Notes:
• Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
• Re-heat leftovers in just the same way: warm up on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave.
More on Steel-Cut Oats
• How to Cook Perfect Steel-Cut Oats - Forgot to start oatmeal last night? Here's how to do it all at once.
• No-Cook Overnight Steel-Cut Oats - These steel-cut oats aren't even cooked.
• Overnight Oatmeal with Apricots and Buttermilk - You can also do steel-cut oats in the slow cooker, although I find these slightly too soft for my taste.
• Fall Breakfasts: A Return to Steel-Cut Oats!
• Good Question: A Foolproof Recipe for Oatmeal?
• Breakfast for Lunch: Steel-Cut Oats with Dates, Coconut, Cinnamon and Pecans
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Comments (13)
Do these same directions apply for the quick-cook steel cut oats (I have the Trader Joe's brand)?
Yum, I do this all the time! I also will throw in a couple table spoons of brown sugar and a 1/4 cup dried fruit, maybe a dash of vanilla if I'm feeling frisky. Then when I heat it up in the morning I throw on some slivered almonds and a dash of milk. Keeps you full and in this Midwest weather, it's nice to have something warm before heading outside!
A japanese rice cooker also works very nice. I usually use the timer function on mine to have my steel cut oats ready when I wake up, or get home from work.
mimi2856 No.
I make mine in a thermos. Add oats, boiling water, dried fruit, etc in the thermos the night before and let it sit. In the morning I reheat a portion in the microwave, just as fast or faster than instant oatmeal.
Just a comment on rolled oats. Sure they get gluey if you are reheating them. But why would you ever make them ahead of time? It takes just about as long as heating these steel cut oats up again in the morning to make them from start (and I'm not talking about quick oats either).
@lynell: or a slow cooker.
Our version for two servings:
Mix 1/2 C raw steel cut oats with 1 1/2 C vanilla soymilk & put in the fridge overnight. Simmer on the stove for five minutes in the morning. Top with brown sugar if you're my kid, or walnuts & dried fruit if you're me. Done.
This is what I do too. I actually like it better after it has been in the fridge for a day or two!
@wunami because I LOVE the texture and taste of steel-cut oats so much more than rolled oats. (Which I love too, just not nearly as much. :)
This is brilliant!
Thanks
Like Ron, I use my Japanese rice cooker and the timer function so that I can wake up to hot, delicious steel-cut oatmeal first thing. I agree, the texture and taste is just better than rolled oats. I am amazed at how many days in a row I can eat steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast and love it.
This was a bit more liquid-y than I would have liked, but the texture of the oats was awesome. I'll adjust it some, but this is definitely going to become a go-to breakfast.
I do like rolled oatmeal, but I too, prefer the steel cut texture. I learned about this overnight method from Heidi Swanson's first cookbook, but it doesn't use the frying method in the beginning. Must try that next time. Thanks!