St. Patrick’s day is right around the corner! One of my favorite parts about celebrating any holiday is the food – especially ones with a unique cultural heritage. I am (supposedly) 1/4 Irish, so I figured now is a good time to learn more about and embrace my heritage. Additionally, I have a trip to Ireland booked with my boyfriend, one of my best friends and her boyfriend for this July, so I thought cooking up some Irish foods was also a great way to get in the spirit for the trip (especially since we have a lot of fun planning ahead)! I am very familiar with typical Irish foods served in pubs, but one thing I didn’t really know was what a traditional Irish breakfast could look like. I came across a variety of ideas, but one that kept popping up was steel-cut oats. I saw a few difference recipes incorporate apples, and one recipe even baked the oatmeal. So, after some research, I developed a unique recipe combining some of the best flavors I came across and also some special touches of my own. This oatmeal is slightly sweet, hearty in consistency, and very filling. It was a great way to start the day, and I am even considering making a batch ahead of time for breakfast at work next week. Definitely worth a go if you love apples and oatmeal (honestly it reminded me of an oatmeal cobbler haha!) – hope you enjoy! 🙂
Makes Around 2-3 Servings
Recipe by © Alysha Melnyk 2018
Kitchen Tools:
Stovetop
Oven, Preheated to 425°F
Small Sauce Pan
Wooden Spoon
Liquid Measuring Cup
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Small Baking Dish
Ingredients:
*Disclaimer – I am including certain brand names of things I use (just because they are personal favorites of mine), but feel free to use whatever brand you like, is the cheapest, is on sale, what you have on hand, etc.*
1 Cup Steel-Cut Oats
2 Cups Whole Milk (*Or Milk of Choice; I Used Stonyfield Whole Milk)
1/2 Cup Apple Sauce (*I Used Sweetened)
2 Teaspoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Palm Sugar (*Or Brown Sugar/Light Brown Sugar)
1 Large Apple (I Used Honeycrisp)
4 Tablespoons Granola or Extra Steel-Cut Oats (I Used Michele’s Original Granola)
*Optional for Serving: Extra Cinnamon, Whipped Cream ( I Use Isigny Ste Mere – Creme a la Vanille de Madagascar), and Milk
Featured Artists/Products:
Square Platter by Jeremy Ogusky, Creater of Ogusky Ceramics (based in Jamaica Plan, MA)
Breakfast Board by Dennis Melnyk
Instructions:
- Mix steel-cut oats and milk with wooden spoon in a small sauce pan, place on medium heat and bring to a boil while stirring constantly (this takes about 5-8 minutes). You’ll notice the mixture thickens during this process.
- Next, remove the pan from heat and stir in apple sauce, honey, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
- Pour the mixture into an oven safe baking dish, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
- While oven is heating, sprinkle the top of the mixture with 1 tablespoon brown sugar of choice, then cut a large apple into small pieces and place on top, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar on top of that.
- For an extra crispy topping, sprinkle some of your favorite granola or extra steel-cut oats over the top.
- Bake for around 15-20 minutes (I baked mine for 20 minutes). Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve. I used whipped cream and extra cinnamon on mine – you can also place the baked oatmeal in a bowl and add some milk or cream on top.
- Enjoy warm – happy eating!
***Leftovers last 3-5 days in refrigerator and can be easily reheated.***
The Kitchenologist© 