McCans Irish Oatmeal - Steel Cut Oats

KyliAnne26
KyliAnne26 Posts: 209 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How do you guys eat these? They're different than regular oatmeal, and until now I've always done the instant quaker packets. I just bought these to give them a try. I tried THREE times and finally got them the third time on the stove top without making a huge mess (I had to clean out my microwave twice because I obviously do not own a large enough microwave safe bowl), and mixed in 1/2 c of blueberries and 1 tbsp peanut butter - It was okay, but there's definitely room for improvement.

What do you guys add to steel cut oats that I can try? Maybe I just need to get used to oat not being as sweet as the sugary Quaker packets. I don't really want to add sugar, because if I'm adding sugar I may as well stick to the Quaker packets, right?

Replies

  • FerociousKoala
    FerociousKoala Posts: 27 Member
    I add a little honey or if I feel like splurging a little it's really good to add peanut butter, nutella, or white chocolate peanut butter. I have also added jam sometimes which makes it taste like the packets that are fruit and cream. Just experiment and you'll get it! Pretty much anything you do to it is less sugar than the packets if you're careful.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    I love these, I make a whole can once a week in a big steel pot and put them in 2 serving plastic containers, I like to mix in 1 serving of fage 2 percent plain yogurt and eat it for breakfeast. You can add some brown sugar or apples or walnuts blueberries rasphberries, cinneman and sugar pretty much anything.

    Granted the plain taste is a bit bland but ive grown to actually enjoy eating it mixed in with my yogurt. So I get my protein and carbs in and some healthy fats. I started with the sugary packs also but wanted to cut back on the processed sugar intake. Guess you could try to mix in some Stevia to see how that tastes.
  • KyliAnne26
    KyliAnne26 Posts: 209 Member
    Thanks guys! Good ideas :)

    Belgerian: When you make the oats in bulk like that and the refrigerate, do you just pop however much you want back into the microwave, or do you heat it on the stove? Do you have to add more water when you reheat? Pre-making breakfast sounds like a great idea. I don't really like plain yogurt, but maybe I could find a fruit yogurt to put in it.
  • ShreddedTweet
    ShreddedTweet Posts: 1,326 Member
    Irish here, in Ireland, have had porridge every morning for breakfast since I was a kid. These days for handiness we make it on the cooker the night before, bowl it and then heat it in the morning with some milk, honey and blueberries. I wouldn't know what to do without my porridge, I'd be starving by lunch ;) It's yum!
  • frugalafterfifty
    frugalafterfifty Posts: 240 Member
    I make a large batch of steel cut oats at a time. I fill a pot with water and put in some oats and let it cook while I make dinner or am cleaning up the kitchen. As it cooks down, I'll add more water. Keep it in a tupperware container in the fridge. To bring to work I put in a smaller container with some fruit and some almond milk. I usually eat it about 2 hours after I pack it so it's not real cold. I prefer it not hot.

    If you would reheat it, I'd probably add some sort of liquid to it, either water or milk.

    Lots of time I take fruit and just cook it down in water and keep it in a jar in the fridge. Apricots, apples, berries, etc. I don't add sugar. I'll add 2 tbl of fruit to it.
  • jeepinwelch
    jeepinwelch Posts: 33 Member
    If you soak them over night they don't boil over in the microwave. They also aren't as chewy. When I microwave them I also use extra 1/4c of water. I put in a dash of salt, a little stevia, some cinnamon and occasionally raisins and pecans. If I made it without raisins I add fresh fruit or just fruit jam and some almond milk before I eat it.
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
    This smells & tastes too good to be low calorie.

    Slow Cooker Oatmeal

    2 Cups - Steel Cut Oatmeal
    8 Cups - Water
    4 TBS - Cinnamon (or to taste)
    2 - Medium Gala Apples (or my preference, unsweetened apple sauce)
    2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    1/2 Cup Raisins
    3 TBS - Vanilla Extract (or to taste)
    1/4 Cup - Unsweetened Almond Milk for topping

    Spray Pam non-stick in slow cooker
    Peel and chop apples & combine with all ingredients except Almond Milk.
    Slow cook on low for 7 - 10 hours
    Top with 1/4 cup Almond Milk
    Refrigerate and use for the week's breakfasts

    Total Calories 1985
    Serves 10 @ 199 cal per
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    Thanks guys! Good ideas :)

    Belgerian: When you make the oats in bulk like that and the refrigerate, do you just pop however much you want back into the microwave, or do you heat it on the stove? Do you have to add more water when you reheat? Pre-making breakfast sounds like a great idea. I don't really like plain yogurt, but maybe I could find a fruit yogurt to put in it.

    Yes I refrigerate, and put them in 2 serving containers I use gladware 1 1/8 cups (http://www.glad.com/food-storage/containers/small-snack/) makes me about 10 containers. I just reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes One can lasts me about 1 week. Also I like mine thick and chewy and not very soupy so I do not add anything when I reheat I just mix in my yogurt. If you cook a large batch just ensure you have a large enough pot. Takes me about 1 hour to cook up the whole batch to my desired consistancy. Then I let it cool down and fill up my containters and refridgerate.
  • jilldan55
    jilldan55 Posts: 61 Member
    I eat them nearly every morning at work. I use unsweetend vanilla almond milk and strawberries. I have also added in avacado, almonds and mandarin oranges before too. Bananas, even though they are a bit high in sugar are fantastic with the almond milk and oatmeal! Enjoy.:smile:
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
    I add some kind of berry, either strawberry,raspberry or blueberries,whatever I have on hand & some times I throw in some slivered almonds. Steel cut oatmeal is my absolute favorite!
  • JaneInKansas
    JaneInKansas Posts: 82 Member
    bump
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I bake them in the oven - 350 for 30-35 minutes. If you have time, toast the oats a little in the oven before you put them in the liquid. I like using unsweetened almond milk instead of water to cook them (makes them creamier), with a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor. You can bake enough for the week in one batch and just divide it up into single serve containers for a grab, heat and go breakfast.

    If you mash up half of a ripe banana and add just before serving they're much sweeter, add some cinnamon and chopped pecans or walnuts and you are all set. You can also add unsweetened applesauce instead of the banana. If they're still not sweet enough for you, try adding a packet of Truvia (stevia sweetener - all natural).

    I also like blueberries in my oats but need the Truvia to add some sweetness.
  • kuntry_navy
    kuntry_navy Posts: 677 Member
    I cook em stove top, add cream, chunky peanut butter and honey. Every once in a while protein powder(usually banana)
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    I simmer it on the stove. The 5 min. kind is not as good as the regular kind that takes 30 min. of simmering. It's still way taster to me, now, than the rolled oats. I can't even eat the rolled oats anymore. The first time I said "this is like eating rocks", but now I love the nutty flavor and more full body. I always put in a tsp of brown sugar, and cinnamon. I used to put in vanilla, but don't bother anymore. I love nuts (walnuts especially) and raisin in it, but those add up to more calories so it depends on if I really want it or not. It's worth it! I did the banana thing, it was good! I tried sweet squash once and it was a no go.

    I tried the cook ahead and reheat method, and it's too gummy for me. Plain is not yummy.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    I put them in the crock pot, 1 part oats to 4 parts water and add some dried fruit. Wake up in the morning to yummy oatmeal.

    I sometimes add a tsp of smartbalance or a drop of milk along with maybe a tsp of brown sugar or a splenda.

    Any of the stuff in a packet has probably had all it's fiber and a good chunk of its nutrition stripped away to make it "instant" the fibre allows me to disgest it slowly over the course of the morning and not leave me hungry again 10 minutes later.
  • affacat
    affacat Posts: 216 Member
    I use Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, but this will work for yours.

    Every night I put a small pot on the stove.
    1/4 cup steel cut oats
    3/4 cup water (or rice milk sometimes, or a split)

    Put lid on, bring to boil, boil 1 minute. Turn off stove. I leave it on the stove overnight.

    In the morning, I heat it up on medium-low for around 7 minutes. (I make the rest of my breakfast during this time).

    This avoids the need to cook them for a long period in the morning.

    You can add whatever you want, but I add:
    20 grams blueberries
    10-15 grams honey
    4 grams cocoa nibs (soaked overnight)
    1 ounce rice milk on top
  • alexadarielle21
    alexadarielle21 Posts: 6
    I add almond milk instead of water and peanut butter powder from whole foods with half a banana ! ;)
  • DiscoveringOptions
    DiscoveringOptions Posts: 5 Member
    I make mine with almond milk and top with honey. Sometimes add banana or berries.
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    We do these in the crockpot, with some dried fruid, water and half and half. Very creamy and the fruit makes it sweet. great breakfast that will hold you and satisfy you.

    you can often find $1 off coupons too so makes them sweeter cause you dont even have to pay full price.
  • arrawyn79
    arrawyn79 Posts: 275 Member
    Refridgerator Oats!

    http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

    and

    http://www.theyummylife.com/8_muesli_flavors
  • jsd_135
    jsd_135 Posts: 291 Member
    I'll make a batch (4 servings) on the weekend and then reheat during the week. My method (from Cook's Illustrated) is a little time consuming, but the result is terrific (creamy and chewy at the same time).

    Makes 4 servings:

    1 c. steel-cut oats
    3 c. water
    1 c. whole milk
    1/2 Tbsp. butter
    1/4 tsp. salt

    In saucepan, bring water and milk to gentle simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in small pan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add oats to butter and toast oats, stirring frequently, until oats start to give off nutty/butterscotchy aroma (about 3-5 minutes). Add toasted oats to simmering water/milk, stir a few times, and cook without stirring at low simmer for 20 minutes, until it has the consistency of gravy. Add salt and stir gently. Cook for an additional 7 to 10 minutes, stirring gently every now and then, until it has the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. Serve.

    ETA: I keep it simple on toppings: Brown sugar & cinnamon, or dried cherries, maple syrup and cinnamon.
  • frankyk89
    frankyk89 Posts: 173 Member
    i have been making a pot on Sunday and then put them in containers and then i can grab and go each morning! bring the water to a boil, add the steel cut oats w/ a little salt and then let simmer till the water is soaked up. i then transfer to my containers and add unsweetened almond milk, vanilla protein powder, vanilla and a packet of stevia, tablespoon of chia seeds and sometimes i will add plain greek yogurt and then put them in the fridge and grab and go. some times in the morning i will add blueberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, banana and/or peanut butter. whatever you like. i eat mine cold but i'm sure you can warm them up in the microwave. so easy and so quick!
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    How do you guys eat these? They're different than regular oatmeal, and until now I've always done the instant quaker packets. I just bought these to give them a try. I tried THREE times and finally got them the third time on the stove top without making a huge mess (I had to clean out my microwave twice because I obviously do not own a large enough microwave safe bowl), and mixed in 1/2 c of blueberries and 1 tbsp peanut butter - It was okay, but there's definitely room for improvement.

    What do you guys add to steel cut oats that I can try? Maybe I just need to get used to oat not being as sweet as the sugary Quaker packets. I don't really want to add sugar, because if I'm adding sugar I may as well stick to the Quaker packets, right?

    first...they are exactly the same as the other oatmeal only they aren't processed and smashed and ruined. They are essentially raw oats that have been cut in half with a steel cutting wheel. That's it.

    How I make them. Get a a pan and boil water. Add the quantity of oats you want. cover Continue to boil oats for 3-5 min. Turn stove off.
    Go to sleep
    Wake up
    Heat and Eat *Perfect every time

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