How To Make Creamy Make-Ahead Steel Cut Oats
Set them up the night before and you'll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly.
Serves4
Do you eat steel-cut oats for breakfast? I turn to them gladly, and there’s nothing like a bowl of hot, tender, pearly oats, all creamy and delicious. Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook than classic stovetop oatmeal, but that’s not a problem. Set up steel cut oats 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 steel cut oats the night before.
How Many Servings of Steel Cut Oats Should You Prep?
I call for one cup of steel cut oats here. This will make enough for three to five 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.
More on Steel-Cut Oats
- For a smaller batch, try cooking steel-cut oats in a rice cooker.
- How To Cook Perfect Steel-Cut Oats: Forgot to start oatmeal last night? Here’s how to do it all at once.
- 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.
- Good Question: A Foolproof Recipe for Oatmeal?
- Breakfast for Lunch: Steel-Cut Oats with Dates, Coconut, Cinnamon and Pecans
How To Cook Steel-Cut Oats for Breakfast the Night Before
Set them up the night before and you'll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly.
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon
butter or olive oil
- 1 cup
steel-cut oats
- 3 cups
water
Pinch salt
- 1 cup
milk (optional)
Equipment
2-quart saucepan
Instructions
Measure out the oats. Start this the night before you want to have steel-cut oatmeal. Measure out your oats.
Toast the oats. Heat the butter or oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and fry them until they start smelling toasty, about 3 minutes.
Add the water and salt. Stir in the water and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
Cover and let it sit overnight. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Leave it on the stove, and go to bed!
Reheat the oatmeal the next morning. 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!
Recipe Notes
Storage: Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in just the same way: warm up on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave.