Oct 26, 2013

Weekend Cooking: Don't Settle for Boring Oatmeal


In today's cooking post I'd like to share an easy, quick way to spruce up your average oatmeal that will turn it into a real treat. Now that the Fall season has arrived (even here in Florida!), I'm turning to warm cereals for breakfast that leaves me satisfied and warms me up from the inside out.

Oatmeal is one of those cereals that is like a blank canvas. Left by itself, its not much to get excited about but by adding a few simple ingredients, it can be a masterpiece. I took a recipe from Bobby Flay's show, Brunch @ Bobby's and changed it just a little to make it work for me. He called it Apple Pie Oatmeal, but I just call is Yummy! Here's what you do:

In a medium saucepan add:

  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 c. dried cranberries
  • 1/2 c. water
  • a dab of butter
Bring to a boil, then simmer until sugar is dissolved. While that is cooking down, peel, core and dice 1 Granny Smith apple. Add to mixture and continue simmering until apples are soft but not mushy. While the apples are cooking down, prepare your oatmeal.  I like to add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar to my oatmeal when it is almost done cooking for an added sweetness. When apple mixture is cooked, transfer to glass dish so the mixture will stop cooking so the apples retain their shape and don't get mushy.

Serve oatmeal and top it with apple mixture with a touch of heavy cream or just plain whole milk on top. It's like having dessert for breakfast!

The great thing about this recipe is not only how quick and easy it us, but if you have left over topping, it keeps very well overnight in the fridge and can be heated up quickly the next morning while you make your oatmeal.

I know this is just a simple idea, but I've enjoyed it so much this week, I had to share it with y'all today. Please let me know if you tried it and what you thought..I promise, you'll never look at oatmeal the same again!  Have a wonderful Saturday and thanks for stopping by today!

For more Weekend Cooking posts, stop over at Beth Fish Reads, who hosts this fun weekly event. I'm sure you'll come away with some great foodie ideas.

11 comments:

  1. Haven't eaten oatmeal since I was a kid. Brings up memories of my mother simmering it overnight for us to have in the morning. Some days it was great some not!!

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  2. What a great fall breakfast! I love anything with apples this time of year.

    Joy's Book Blog

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  3. I love oatmeal. You're right -- it is a blank canvas and with just a little imagination you can spruce it up with fruit, nuts and spices. Thanks for the idea.

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  4. Apple pie oatmeal: I am so there! And I have all the ingredients, so I can't wait to try it (and to see why those ingredients add up to an apple pie taste!)

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  5. Sounds really good! I make oatmeal a lot in the winter so I'm going to add this to my list of versions to try.

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  6. I always grate an apple into my oatmeal with cinnamon. This year I've started to add pumpkin along with some pumpkin pie spice -- it's super quick and delicious. Thanks for the idea of the dried cranberries!

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  7. Dessert for breakfast is always a treat! This sounds delicious.

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  8. My son loves oatmeal so much he eats it for a snack. I'll have to share this post with him.

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  9. Sounds really good!

    I used to make steel cut oats every morning for breakfast, but stopped about a month ago. We started eating yogurt instead. I still have 2 1/2 bags of oats though so I really should make them again. We like flax seed, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, nuts, cinnamon and fruit in ours.

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  10. I'm sure I'd like oatmeal done this way. Thanks

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  11. So much better than the apple cinnamon flavored packets of oatmeal. I really need to get back into the habit of making oatmeal for breakfast.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I look forward to hearing from you again soon!