Friday, January 18, 2013

Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Apples

On these very cold mornings I have been starting my day with a hot bowl of oatmeal, McCANN'S Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal being my favorite. It's a good, healthy start, as we all know, but sometimes oatmeal alone can get a little boring without the addition of fruits, nuts, or other such tasty goodies.  Most of the time I add dried fruits,  Melissa’s blueberries and strawberries  being two of my favorites, and toss it in while the oatmeal is cooking, but today I was in an apple-y mood, so decided to caramelize some on the top of the stove while waiting for the oatmeal to cook.  It's easy to do, but if you're unsure how to make the apples, here is a simple recipe.


Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Apples

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large apples, peeled and sliced (any variety that suits you, or happen to be in your fridge)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Few gratings of fresh nutmeg
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Pinch of Kosher salt

Melt the butter in a medium-large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the apple slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt, and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Arrange on top of steaming bowls of oatmeal. 

Serves 2.


Other fun ideas for oatmeal toppings are:

The Elvis Special - chopped salted peanuts and sliced bananas.

Tropical Isle - chopped macadamias, shredded coconut, and pineapple chunks.

Pumpkin Pie - 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and 2 T. pumpkin purée.

Gimme Granola - raisins, chopped mixed nuts, flax seed, coconut flakes.

Chocolate Lover's Special - mini chocolate chips and a light swirl of Hershey's syrup.

S'Mores - crumbled graham crackers, mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips.


Snicker Bar – chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, and a teaspoon of dark brown sugar.

I'm sure that you can come up with many more on your own,  based on your family's preferences. The important thing to remember is that you are enhancing the oatmeal, not overwhelming it.

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5 comments:

~~louise~~ said...

GOOD Morning Pattie!!! Happy New Year!!!

What a comforting dish to start the day. I love that you caramelized the apples for your topping. I'm especially intrigued by The Elvis Special too!!!

Thanks so much for sharing. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods:)

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Good Morning Pattie, I start my day with exactly the same breakfast, porridge and blueberries, but I really fancy the caramelized apples. My sweet tooth is shouting YES!
This is just what we need on these cold, winter mornings.
Stay warm and best wishes, Daphne

So Domesticated said...

Looks fabulous... love apples!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

Those caramelized apples look wonderful on top of the oatmeal!

Linda said...

So going to try this!