Steel Cut Oats with Sauteed Apples and Toasted Pecans

Growing up, breakfast was a meal that we ate together as a family on the weekdays.  We would get up bright and early, usually to my Dad singing, "Rise and shine it's time to get up... (to the tune of the BYU fight song)."  We ate hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat or zoom) Monday thru Thursday.  I remember loving Fridays because my Dad would leave early to work and we would get to eat cold cereal, it was awesome.  It may have been because I had consumed so much hot cereal in my early years, but for a long time it wasn't my breakfast of choice.  At least it wasn't until the cold weather arrived and I tried this very delicious bowl of steel cut oats.  This oatmeal is the perfect start the day, warm, filling and very delicious. (This recipe for steel cut oats is super quick and you'll have steel cut oats waiting for every morning in the fridge.)

Steel Cut Oats

1 2/3 cup steel-cut oats

4 cups water

1/2-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix-Ins or Toppings:

Milk or half and half

Cinnamon or other spices

Raisins or other dried fruit

Toasted pecans, walnuts or almonds

Flaked unsweetened coconut

Honey or pure maple syrup

Jam

Sautéed apples or pears

Gather 5 pint-sized mason jars with lids.  Bring the oats, water and salt to a boil in a pot.  Simmer for about 3 minutes then turn off the heat.  Ladle the oats and water into the jars (the jars won't be filled to the top).  Cover the jars tightly with their caps and rings.  Leave on the counter overnight.  The next morning pour the oatmeal from one jar (more if you're serving more than 1 person) into a small pot and heat until hot.  Pour oatmeal into a bowl and add any of the mix-ins or toppings desired.  (The quicker version is to just take the cap and ring off the jar and give the oatmeal a quick stir.  Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or until hot.  Add mix-ins or toppings to the jar and it's ready to eat.)  

I eat my oats with a splash of whole milk, apples that have been sautéed in a little butter and maple syrup and then topped with toasted pecans.

*I usually double this recipe (3 1/3 cups steel cut oats, 8 cups water and a heaping teaspoon kosher salt, simmer for 5 minutes).

Recipe barely adapted from The Kitchn