Breakfast is a very important meal. Some people argue that it is the most important meal of the day. Whether you agree or not, you have to admit that breakfast is delicious. Many people make breakfast for dinner; serving breakfast foods like eggs, pancakes, or waffles. Everyone has their favorite meal of the day, and mine is breakfast. I love having scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. I love grits and cereal too. There are so many sweet and savory options. One of the most popular breakfast food that is a staple across every household is oatmeal. Who doesn’t love oatmeal? It is warm and delicious with customization options. You can put all kinds of delicious toppings on your oatmeal! You can have oatmeal any way you’d like, but how easy is it to cook? Well, you can always cook them on a stove-top but this may not be fast enough. Not everyone has time to cook their oats on the stove; so can you microwave oats? Absolutely! Breakfast just got easier.
Different Types of Oats
Before we get into oatmeal cooking methods, let’s discuss the three different types of oats. First of all, there are steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats are the least processed of all the oasts, and some might say are the healthiest for you. They are whole oats that are cut by a steel mill into smaller pieces. They are thicker than other oats and take longer to cook. Then, you’ve got rolled oats. Rolled oats are steamed to soften them up and then flattened. These cook faster since they are thinner, and are a great option for a quick breakfast. The last type of oats is instant oatmeal oats. Instant oatmeal is rolled oats that have been cut up into smaller pieces and slightly precooked. These cook the quickest, but lose their texture and turn out mushy at the end. However, you can buy instant oatmeal that is prepackaged with sugar and toppings to save you more time in the morning. What are your favorite types of oats?
How to Make Oatmeal on the Stove and Microwave – Steel-Cut Oats
Cooking oatmeal on the stove isn’t the most difficult task. All oats cook a little differently, but how long it takes depends on what kind of oats you’re cooking. Let’s say you want to cook steel-cut oats. First, you want to choose whether you want to use water, milk, or both. You can use milk substitutes as well. Once you’ve decided, place 2-3 cups of your liquid in a saucepan along with 1 cup of steel-cut oats. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. After the 20 minutes, you choose whether you want to keep letting them simmer longer. The longer they simmer, the softer they’ll be so let them simmer until they are the perfect texture for you. After that, you can top them with whatever you’d like, such as sugar, honey, peanut butter, cinnamon, nut, fruit, and/or anything else you like!
Don’t have time to cook your steel-cut oats on the stove? Can you microwave oats that are steel cut? Yes! That is why microwaves were invented. You can very well add your steel-cut oats in a bowl to microwave them. First, you want to place about a ½ cup of steel-cut oat in a microwavable 2-quart glass bowl. Make sure you use this size bowl to prevent the oats from boiling over! Then add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. Then stir the oats and microwave for an additional 5 minutes uncovered. Once they are finished, you can add a little milk to make them as creamy as you’d like. You can also top them with whatever you want! Cooking steel-cut oats is a breeze in the microwave.
How to Make Oatmeal on the Stove and Microwave – Rolled Oats and Microwave Oatmeal Packets
If you’re like me, you prefer rolled oats the best. Some of you may prefer the convenience of microwave oatmeal packets. Either way, these can also be cooked on the stove and cook much quicker than steel-cut oats. To cook rolled oats on the stove, bring 1 cup of water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and ½ cup of rolled oats. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. Let it sit for 1 minute to finish cooking. If you’re wanting to cook instant oatmeal, all you have to do is add a packet of instant oatmeal to a bowl, boil about ½ cup of water in a saucepan, then pour the ½ cup boiling water in the bowl and mix it.
Microwaving rolled oats or instant oatmeal is even quicker and easier! This is the fastest way to eat oatmeals; and if you’re in a rush in the mornings, this is going to be your favorite method. All you have to do is mix ½ cup of rolled oats with ⅔ cups of water in a microwavable bowl. Make sure the bowl is deep so that the oatmeal doesn’t boil over. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Afterward, stir the oatmeal and microwave it for 30 seconds to a minute until done. Let them sit for 2 minutes before serving. Remember there is an unlimited amount of topping combinations you can add to your oatmeal to enjoy them!
Oatmeal Your Way
Can you microwave oats? Now you know you can! Add oatmeal to a long list of things that your microwave is able to do. You can microwave steel-cut oats if you love how hearty and whole they are. You can microwave rolled oats for an easier to cook, but still hearty breakfast. Or you can microwave instant oats if you just want a super-fast morning meal. You can choose to stove-top cook them as well. Whatever you prefer or suits your schedule! You can combine so many toppings to give your oatmeal a spin! Mix bananas and peanut butter with chocolate chips in your oatmeal to make it taste like cookie dough! Try adding mixed berries and honey for a fresh and fruity taste. I love adding cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter! Yum! No matter how you cook your oatmeal or what you add to them; oatmeal is a delicious and filling breakfast for you and your family.
