One of my favorite Grab & Go breakfasts is half pint steel cut oatmeal cups. I make one or two batches each time, loading the half pint mason jars and stacking them in the fridge so that my husband and I can grab one before work or exercise! They are super easy and rewarding both when you are hungry and when someone at work comments on how cute/clever the cups are.
My preferential taste for steel cut oatmeal is Bob's Red Mill which can be found at Costco in large bags for a fraction of the leading grocery store cost and is naturally gluten free. I also store those large bags in giant mason jars!!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup - Steel Cut Oatmeal, uncooked
- 1/4 tsp - Salt
- 2 cups - Water
- Your Favorite Add-Ins! Pecans, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Agave, Fresh Fruit, Dried Fruit, etc.
- 4 - Half Pint Mason Jars (8 ounces), with lid and ring
- 1 - Medium Sauce Pot, with fitted lid
- 1 - Stirring Spoon
- 1/4 cup - Dry Measuring Cup, empty and clean
Directions:
Make in the afternoon or evening, prior to the morning you want it. Place 2 cups water in medium sauce pan and reach boil. As soon as the water boils remove from heat and add the 1 cup of steel cut oatmeal and 1/4 tsp salt. Quickly stir the mixture and immediately place lid on sauce pot. Leave off of hot burner so it doesn't boil over. Do not remove the lid again as this recipe requires the heat and steam to cook the oats! Leave for 3 hours. After 3 hours open the lid and stir the oatmeal. You'll find it's complete. Some people leave in the pot overnight and call it "overnight oatmeal" but I don't have time for that! The whole point of having grab and go oatmeal is so that I don't have to fiddle with it in the morning before work. Now for the fun part! Take your empty 1/4 cup dry measuring cup and put two scoops of the oatmeal mixture in one half pint mason jar. At this time you can choose to mix add-ins with the oatmeal inside the jar or you may wait to add them in before you eat the oatmeal. Because I like my pecans crunchy I always add in my goodies just before consuming. However, my husband likes brown sugar in his oatmeal so it is safe to add that in early. Once you are done filling the jars, wipe the edges of the jar clean and seal with the lid and ring. Place in your fridge until ready to consume. One batch of this recipe will make 4 half cup servings of oatmeal. I like to double my recipe so that 8 half cup servings (8 half pint mason jars) are an easy grab for the two of us. When you are ready to eat your oatmeal take off the lid and ring and set aside, placing only the glass jar filled with oatmeal in the microwave. Caution the sides of jar will be very hot! Microwave for thirty seconds to one minute maximum. I find that the top of the jar where the lid screws on at tends to be cooler than the glass sides but to be safe just remove from microwave with towel. Stir you oatmeal with a spoon. Mix your add-ins! Yummy!!
With Angela O'
