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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

It Pretty Much Cooks Itself, Irish Oatmeal

Calling all Irish Oatmeal fans for this easy to manage breakfast staple! With this easy, no work, no worry method, and no special equipment needed...for hot and hearty Irish Oatmeal.


Irish oats are a delicious change in our breakfast routine.

We are oatmeal people. I more so than my husband. I rotate the kinds of oatmeal I eat, but pretty much eat oatmeal every day for breakfast. Irish oats, granola, baked oatmeal, and sometimes creamy overnight oats. Using this process for It Pretty Much Cooks Itself, Irish Oatmeal makes for an easy breakfast on those busy days. 

It used to be that Irish oatmeal was something I rarely ate due to the long cooking time. I tried cooking it in my stovetop pressure cooker, but that did not turn out very well at all! It was not a pretty sight gurgling out the pressure valve, and even worse to clean up! 


So why not use this old fashioned method?

And then one day it hit me, that oats could use a soaking time for better digestion, and did some research and now cook Irish style oats with this overnight (or all day long) method. And while this is more technique than an actual recipe, I decided to share just how to do it! For some who have cooked this way in the past, it might simply be a reminder of just how easy Irish-style oats can be to cook and serve to your family. 

It takes a smidgen of planning, but otherwise, it is perfect. You can put it together in the evening after dinner and cook it for breakfast or put it together in the morning and cook it after dinner. Either way, it only takes but a few moments of hands-on time to put together and cook It Pretty Much Cooks Itself, Irish Oatmeal

Some thoughts on this process:

While I prefer my oatmeal plain, it is easy to add a handful or two of various dried fruit or a chopped apple when you bring the oatmeal to a boil. 

If anyone enjoys chocolate chips over their oatmeal, just scatter them before serving. 

A favorite topping around here is chopped walnuts, take a look at the handy tip at the end of the post...

My preferred way is to assemble after dinner and cook fresh in the morning. However, I often assemble after breakfast and cook later that day for a batch to keep in the fridge for quick breakfasts. 


Ingredients needed for this recipe:
  • Irish oatmeal
  • water
  • salt
  • raisins, chopped apple, other dried fruit
You will also need the following:
  • medium-sized saucepan and lid
  • covered storage container
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
Now we are ready to begin!



Pretty Much Cooks Itself Irish Oatmeal
by the seat of my pants!
UPDATED: 01.26.2022

4 c water
2 c Irish Oatmeal
raisins, dried fruit, or a chopped apple if desired
1/2 t salt


In the morning or after dinner, place water, oats, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and set aside to rest. 


After dinner, or the next morning, bring the pan of oats and water to a boil. 

If you want to include dried fruit or any other tasty treats to your oatmeal, you could add a couple of handfuls now! 

Let boil, stirring gently for about one to two minutes. 



Remove from the burner, cover, and place on a hot pad out of the way so no one gets burned. 

Let the oatmeal rest for about 10 minutes covered to finish cooking. Stir gently to mix in the raisins if using. 
  

If cooking in the morning, you will have hot oatmeal ready to serve. 



We prefer to cook up enough for several meals, storing it in a covered container. We place our serving portion in a dish, give it a minute in the microwave, and enjoy a hot breakfast. 


We are fans of chopped walnuts on top of our oatmeal, but we do this the easy way! Instead of a cutting board and a knife to wash up, we have discovered that this backward trick works like a charm, and with fewer dishes to wash! 



Take one Old Fashioned Nut Chopper, fill the bottom section with walnuts attach grinder assembly/lid. Turn upside down over your bowl of oatmeal, and turn the crank for delicious freshly chopped walnuts. 

Storage options for It Pretty Much Cooks Itself, Irish Oatmeal. If you cook enough for future breakfasts, you may store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days without fruit, three days with. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of It Pretty Much Cooks Itself, Irish Oatmeal has been included below. 

You may also enjoy: 


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Printable "copy and paste" version:

Pretty Much Cooks Itself Irish Oatmeal
by the seat of my pants!
UPDATED: 01.26.2022

4 c water
2 c Irish Oatmeal
raisins, dried fruit, or a chopped apple if desired
1/2 t salt

In the morning, place water, oats, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and set aside to rest. 

After dinner, or the next morning, bring the pan of oats and water to a boil. 

If you want to include dried fruit or any other tasty treats to your oatmeal, you could add a couple of handsful now! 

Let boil, stirring gently for about one to two minutes. 

Remove from the burner, cover, and place on a hot pad out of the way so no one gets burned. 

Let the oatmeal rest for about 10 minutes covered to finish cooking. Stir gently to mix in the raisins if using. 

If cooking in the morning, you will have hot oatmeal ready to serve. 

We prefer to cook up enough for several meals, storing it in a covered container. We place our serving portion in a dish, give it a minute in the microwave, and enjoy a hot breakfast. 

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Would you like to comment?

  1. YUM. Thanks so much for linking up at the 25 and Done Link Party 4! 25 entries in 25 hours!! Shared onto Fb, Pn, and Tw!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like dried cranberries and fresh blueberries in my daily oatmeal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have never tried dried blueberries, but I think I would enjoy them. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

      Delete
  3. I like the idea of making a batch ahead and then just heating it up during the week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right!? By the time I am ready for breakfast, I need to heat and eat! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

      Delete
  4. Is Irish oatmeal the same as steel cut? We really like the texture of the steel cut oats sometimes. I’m thinking thee are the same.

    This looks good. And I have also learned that soaking grains and slow cooking them really helps our bodies to digest them. I’d say especially hard grains.

    I like your walnut trick. My mom used to have a grinder like that and we loved to play with it!

    Laurie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes steel cut is my go-to oats. I like this overnight method because it soaks and then cooks up quick. I do use a soaking method for all my whole grains, nuts and legumes.

      Delete
  5. I eat steel-cut oats with various toppings every workday morning, just about! I cook up a batch of five servings and divvy it up into one-cup ramekins for heating up in the microwave, put on the toppings and they're ready to grab and go. (Sadly, I'm often running late and eating breakfast in the car!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also like having it cooked up ahead. I love your ramekin idea!

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Me too, it helps me eat a better breakfast. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. I prefer Irish oatmeal to rolled oats. Thanks for sharing at My Big Fat Menopausal Life's Share the Wealth party. Have a fabulous week!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The nut chopper idea is brilliant!

    ReplyDelete

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