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A big pot of creamy make-ahead steel cut oats

Jay’s Steel Cut Oats.

  • Author: Bet Denton
  • Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
  • Total Time: 30-35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups steel cut oats
  • 6 cups boiling water
  • salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • milk or cream for serving
  • delicious toppings, such as fresh or dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar or maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the oats and stir to toast them, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Carefully add the boiling water and bring to a low, controlled simmer (on our stove, this is on the low side of medium-low). If it’s simmering too vigorously, the oats will stick to the bottom of the pot. Simmer, covered and undisturbed, 25 minutes.
  3. At this point, check the oats, add a big pinch of salt (I use about 1/2 teaspoon), and stir – you don’t want them to be soupy. Continue to cook and stir on medium-low for 2-5 more minutes, until they are thick and creamy and reach your desired consistency and doneness. The oatmeal will thicken quickly as it stands.
  4. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Notes

This makes a large batch – you need a couple of committed oatmeal-eaters for this quantity! You can easily cut the recipe in half.

To reheat, add enough milk to thin and warm in the microwave – leftovers are just as good!! The leftover oatmeal with be thick – it will stay together in a big hunk when you carve out a scoop into your bowl. I just add some milk and chop it up a little with my spoon, and microwave for 1 minute. At that point, it’s getting soft and creamy again and you can stir to smooth it out, add more milk if you want, and heat for about another 30 seconds.

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown