Last week I was talking with a new friend (hi Sara!) and she mentioned how much she loves overnight, no-cook oatmeal. I am familiar with this (also known as muesli) but the new thing here was that she said that she especially likes making it with steel-cut oats. Really? I said. They're so... chewy. Steel-cut oats without any cooking at all?
Why yes! And they are delicious. This has got to be the simplest way to make steel-cut oats (and all of us here at The Kitchn love steel cut oats).
Here's how they taste. Chewy. Really, really chewy. If you like chewy and fairly dense cold cereal (think Grape-Nuts) these are totally right for you. They are deliciously nutty and chewy, and they make a very filling breakfast.
They really couldn't be easier, too. Here's how I make them. I pour 1 cup of steel-cut oats into a bowl, then mix them with about 2 cups milk, a dollop of honey, and a bit of cinnamon and ginger. I like to add a scoop of raisins, too, and a bit of grated citrus zest. Then I refrigerate the oats overnight. (If you want to do just a little extra work, you can sauté them in a little butter first.)
In the morning the oats have softened enough to eat. They are delicious when eaten cold, mixed with some grated apple or chopped peaches, or topped with blueberries and almonds. They are dense, rich, nutty, and very filling — a fantastic breakfast.
Do you ever eat muesli? Have you ever tried making it with steel-cut oats?