Betty Vasquez: 4 Oatmeal Recipes that Will be Ready When You Wake Up

Oatmeal is a breakfast staple for so many families and it’s not hard to see why. It’s packed with nutrients, customizable and satisfying- perfect for kids and adults alike.

Today, we’re making it our mission to help you send the family off with a nutritious oatmeal breakfast each and every morning in the quickest ways possible.

1. Traditional Soaked Oatmeal

Basic Ingredients:

1 cup Quaker Steel Cut Oats
1-2T yogurt/whey/vinegar/lemon juice
1 cup milk

Method:

Soak oats and 1-2T yogurt overnight in enough water to cover. Drain in the morning. Bring milk to a boil and add oats, cook until thickened to your liking. Add mix-ins (see below).

Makes 4 servings.

2. Baked Oatmeal To Go

This is truly a grab-and-go breakfast if you bake it the night before- all the work is done ahead of time!

Basic Ingredients:

2 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
1t baking powder
1t vanilla
¼ cup melted butter or oil
½ cup applesauce or other fruit puree
1 small apple finely grated
1 ¼ cups milk
3 cups Quaker Rolled Oats
½-1 cup mix-ins (see a note about mix-ins below)

Method:

Whisk all ingredients except oats and mix-ins in a large bowl. Fold in oats and mix-ins and transfer to an 8×8 pan, a muffin tin or small ramekins.

To bake right away, let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes before baking at 375 for 30 minutes. To bake later or in the morning, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove plastic wrap and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Makes about 12 servings.

3. Crockpot Oatmeal

Not much work to be done here, but make sure to check on the oats so they don’t burn- cooking time varies with the size and model of your slow cooker.

Basic Ingredients:

6 cups water
2 cups Quaker Steel Cut Oats or Quaker Rolled Oats
1t salt

Method:

Mix ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (or overnight, if you’re confident it won’t burn or you can set a timer on your slow cooker). Add mix-ins.

Makes 6-8 servings.

4. No Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal

These oats are usually served cold and are great for the warmer weather some parts of the country are still experiencing.

Basic Ingredients:

1/4 cup Quaker Steel Cut Oats or Quaker Rolled Oats
1T chia seeds (optional – substitute with ground flax or more oats if you like)
½ cup yogurt or milk or a mixture of both (yogurt makes it thick, milk makes it thin)

Method:

Put oats, chia and yogurt/milk in an 8oz jar and shake. Add mix-ins, if using. Soak overnight in the refrigerator or for up to 2 days. Makes 1 serving.

A Word About Mix-Ins

There are about a million ways to top your oatmeal, but somehow we still get bored with our go-to choices. Typical mix-in candidates are nuts/seeds/nut butters, fresh/dried fruits, coconut, sweeteners, spices, chocolate/cocoa, coffee, granola, pureed fruits/veggies and more. That leaves A LOT of room for creativity.

SOME NEW COMBOS FOR YOU:

Banana Split: sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, chopped nuts, dried or fresh cherries, chocolate chips
Hummingbird Cake: mashed/sliced banana, chopped pecans, crushed pineapple, cinnamon, shredded coconut
Trail Mix: peanuts and/or other nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, dried apples/apple chips, chocolate chips (optional)
Triple Apple with Peanut Butter: chopped fresh apple, apple butter, crushed apple chips and peanut butter
Tropical: shredded coconut, coconut milk, dried or fresh mango/pineapple/papaya/kiwi/banana
Spiced Cashew: chopped cashews, chopped dates, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, sea salt
PBJ: Peanut butter, strawberry jelly, chopped strawberries, chopped peanuts
Citrus: Sliced grapefruit/orange/blood orange, honey

And if you’re really daring – try savory oats. Think of oats as a base grain (just like rice or quinoa) and try your favorite savory combinations!

Bacon, fried egg and avocado sounds particularly good to me right now… but the possibilities are endless!

Inspiration gathered from Oven Love, The Yummy Life, One Good Thing By Jillee and Chocolate Covered Katie.