Cooking and reheating oatmeal

Athijade

Hey all!

So, I am looking at starting to meal prep for a few days to a week at a time. Normally I have to be at work at 9AM and I am not one that can eat right as I wake up, so I usually take something small for breakfast for when I get there. Yogurt is my go to and I will start making yogurt cups with mix ins ahead of time (instead of buying individual yogurts which is more expensive).

But I was also wondering if there were other options and oatmeal came to mind. Can you, without ruining it, make a batch of oatmeal, put it in containers, and reheat it in the microwave? If so, would you add mix ins like PB, jam, honey, or fruit before or after you reheat?

staffordcrew

Have you ever tried refrigerator oatmeal? It's not hot, but you said you like yogurt with mix ins so perhaps you would like this option for oatmeal. You can google for a variety of recipes. I use toasted oatmeal, or muslei, Greek yogurt, skim milk, or almond mile, dried fruit, chia seeds, cinnamon, sometimes fresh fruit.

livingleanlivingclean

I would just take it uncooked, but portioned out, and cook it in the microwave. It would save it from potentially going bad over the week too...

Xvapor

I don't cook oatmeal

TheCupcakeCounter

I have done this very successfully with steel cut oats but regular oats get very gummy. I usually make a big pot of the steel cut oats with half water and half almond milk, some cinnamon, and 1 TB of maple syrup. Then I let it cool and portion into individual servings and add my mix ins. The only thing I will leave out is nuts or other "crunchy" items.
I agree with staffordcrew to look into overnight oats - Pinterest has a bunch of varieties but my favorite is:
1/3 c old fashioned oats
1/4 c greek yogurt
1/3 c milk
1 TB chia seeds
1/4 tsp each cinnamon and vanilla extract
mix and add in 1/2 c blueberries and let sit in the fridge overnight
I can usually make up a few in advance as they will last a few days. If you use fruits like banana, apple, peach, or strawberries I would use them the next day. If you use plain yogurt you can add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup too. I have also mixed in vanilla protein powder to bump up the protein.

fitmom4lifemfp

I have made steel-cut oatmeal in batches, and taken in a serving to work, for breakfast. Heats up in the microwave just fine.

dfwesq

Making oatmeal in a batch, then portioning it out is a very practical solution. It will keep in the refrigerator for a long time. The oats will absorb more and more water as they're sitting in your fridge so they'll be very thick later, maybe even a solid lump. But when you're reheating in the microwave, just add more water and stir it all up once the oatmeal is hot. I've done this with steel cut oats, and they will last at least 10 days if refrigerated. You can freeze them if you're going to keep them for a while and are worried about them going bad. Just move them from the freezer to the refrigerator a couple of days before you plan to eat them. Plastic bags work fine for this - the oatmeal gets slippery as it sits, so it will slip right out into the bowl for reheating.

I've also cooked a single serving of old-fashioned rolled oats in the microwave, then refrigerated the bowl. It's ready for reheating in the morning without much trouble.

I usually add spices, sweeteners, and nonfat milk to my oatmeal. I add milk only after reheating; spices or sweeteners can go in either before or after reheating.

RaeBeeBaby

So, I love oatmeal but I am not a fan of refrigerator oats. I've tried many versions, but I just don't like the raw taste or texture.

Here's how I do my oatmeal almost every day. I use 1/2 quick oats and 1/2 old-fashioned.

Measure out the dry ingredients in a bowl.
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 Tbsp craisins
1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
1 Tbsp chopped nuts

Pour boiling water over it - enough to cover.
Put a plate on top and let it sit for 3-5 minutes.

Then I add yogurt and fruit on top.

For breakfast at home I often get this ready the night before and just cover the dry ingredients with a plate overnight. (I do this at the same time as I get the coffee pot ready.)

For to-go version, I'll put it in a mason jar with a lid, carry the mix-ins separately and then just assemble it all when I get to wherever I'm going. Most work places have hot water available or you can microwave if not.

ETA: I have a big tupperware container with all the dry ingredients (including craisins or raisins) already mixed together, so I just measure out as much as I want. Makes it super quick to throw together.

katzenfluff

I dump 1/2 c old fashioned oats and a little Sugar In the Raw in a cup of almond milk when I'm packing my breakfast and lunch in the evening. The next day at work I microwave for 2 1/2 or 3 minutes, stir, let set for a couple minutes, stir and eat. Doesn't get gummy at all. I also precook a batch of steel cut oats and portion out for breakfasts. Just heat and heat.

dklibert

I just started making baked oatmeal. It is like an oatmeal muffin. Delicious! I eat cold or microwave for 20-30 seconds. You can use pumpkin or bananas in place of applesauce. I have made then all different ways. soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2016/10/recipe-review-baked-oatmeal.html

Have you heard of egg mugs. It is basically an omelet in a coffee mug cooked in the microwave. Hungry Girl and the Eggbeater websites have lots of recipe. You can take to work raw in a microwave safe container or mason jar and microwave about 1 min 30 sec. Really good! soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2016/08/masonable-mondays-2-scrambles.html

ElvenToad

I cook a serving of steel cut oats in my pressure cooker then refrigerate overnight, heat up in the morning in the microwave (add a little extra water and stir first), and they are just as great as when they come fresh out of the cooker.

I'm not sure about old fashioned oats, never tried doing that.

I add all my mix ins after its heated up.

There is also a whole world of "overnight oats" you could look into those recipes too.