Is it really November already?! Yikes… time is flying by.
Before getting to the recipe post, I wanted to acknowledge the millions of people affected by Hurricane Sandy. We were lucky enough to emerge with only a bunch of leaves + tree limbs scattered throughout our yard and a mere hour without electricity on Monday, but otherwise unscathed. I’m not sure if footage of the devastation in places such as NYC and New Jersey is being broadcast where you live, but it is estimated that repair efforts will be in the billions.
Even when a fir tree impaled itself in our roof during Hurricane Ike when we lived in Houston – and we had to replace an entire corner of our newly purchased house – neither of us was hurt nor did we lose any valuable items. I feel extremely lucky to have lived through two horrendous hurricanes without any injuries and with minimal personal losses.
My thoughts continue to be with those struggling through house repairs, lack of transportation, and power outages.
If I could deliver a steaming bowl of this comforting oatmeal to all of those people, I would!
My typical morning oatmeal is comprised of old-fashioned rolled oats, banana slices, water, milk, ground cinnamon, and oftentimes pumpkin puree + dried cranberries… all topped off with a generous spoonful of peanut or almond butter. This breakfast is ready in about 5 minutes, serves 1, and it’s perfect for a busy morning.
Every once in a while, however, it’s nice to make a big pot of steel cut oats while leisurely watching the morning news, reading the paper, or catching up on blog reading.
Yes, steel cut oats take a considerably longer time to cook than the old-fashioned variety, but the time is well worth it as you are rewarded with super chewy – but still creamy – oatmeal.
In this version, apples play three starring roles in the form of cider, chopped pieces, and caramelized slices. Warm autumnal spices join the party to clinch the deal and truly make this oatmeal taste like apple pie.
Every bite is full of apple-y flavor thanks to the cider and tender chopped pieces that cook right along with the oats, but the really special component is the caramelized slices that adorn the top. A dab of butter, a bit of maple syrup, and a few shakes of cinnamon transform apple slices into a decadent-tasting pie filling that is so delicious, I wouldn’t blame you if you scarfed it down before even getting to the oatmeal.
Yep, it’s that good!
Even if you’re feeding only yourself with this recipe, I encourage you to make the entire batch of 4 servings as the oatmeal actually reheats very well with a few additional splashes of milk.
Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Keywords: simmer breakfast apples oatmeal fall
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 2 medium apples, preferably organic, one finely chopped and one thinly sliced
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice, preferably organic
- 1 cup milk (I used skim), preferably organic
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- a few shakes of ground cinnamon
Instructions
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oats and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add water, cider, milk, shredded apple, brown sugar, spices, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, about 35-40 minutes.
While the oats are cooking, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced apples and maple syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples have softened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and sautee until caramelized, about 1-2 minutes longer.
Serve oats topped with sauteed apples.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
257.1 calories, 4.2 grams fat, 1.6 grams saturated fat, 5.9 grams fiber, 8.3 grams protein
