Quick Steel-Cut Oats

Is there any way of preparing steel-cut oatmeal so that it is ready in the morning? I love the long, slow cooking time during the weekends (gives time to sip a coffee, read the paper) but I'm usually rushed on weekday mornings. My window to prepare AND eat is 15 minutes...

Any ideas? I can't stand the glue like texture of quick-cook oatmeal any more!

Just soak it in the pot you will cook it in the night before, ten minutes in the morning. Done.

I have a veg/rice steamer and prepare several days worth same as rice the night before, reheat in micro with milk or water. My understanding is that you can also prepare it in a rice cooker.

Another method that works if you have a good, wide mouthed thermos (not so easy to find) is to add boiling water to oats (or any other long cooking hot ceral), seal tightly and leave overnight. Reheat if needed.

Thanks everybody!

I'll try the simplest one this week (making it the night before, and warming it up) and move on from there. I meant to try it this morning but soy sausage (if you can believe it) and biscuits called my name...

Some people love this, and some don't... I love it. It takes at most five minutes in the evening (two if you don't fry the oats), and fifteen seconds to stir in the morning.

1 cup steel-cut oats
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
3 cups water
pinch salt

Throw everything into a Crock Pot and leave on medium overnight. If you like, you can toast the oats in the butter in a hot pan first, until they smell nutty. Sometimes I have time to do this, sometimes I don't.

Disclaimer: this is an adaptation of an Alton Brown recipe. The original replaced one of the cups of water with milk, which made the porridge entirely too rich, and added dried fruit, which ends up making the entire pot of porridge taste strongly of whatever fruit it was -- apricots are notorious here.

Crock Pot overnight.

On the weekend, cook a big pot of oats in the normal way, and refrigerate for use over the next several days. It re-warms nicely in the microwave; you can add milk, brown sugar, etc. before you nuke it and it all comes out nice and hot, or add later if you like the milk to be cool.

Microwave. It works great if you're preparing steel-cut oats for one or two people. One cup of oats, 4 cups of water, dash of salt if you want. Biggest bowl that will fit. Twenty minutes, while you're showering. Great oatmeal.

I use a recipe off old McCain tin - they have it on their website. It simply calls for soaking the oats overnight, which allows then to be cooked in about 10 minutes in the morning, leaving you with 5 minutes to eat it in your 15 minutes window.

If you cook them in a double boiler, you can shower-shave-get dressed without paying any attention to the stove, which might increase your time window.

Here it is:

Quick Soak Method

One of the quickest and easiest ways to prepare McCann's Steel Cut Oats is to soak the oats overnight. Before going to bed, boil four cups of water in a pot, add one cup of oatmeal. Stir until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and leave overnight. The next morning, bring oats to a brisk boil and cook until they are just tender and serve.

http://www.mccanns.ie/pages/preparati...

there was a post about this a while back. i think the recipe is very good, although i don't add as much milk the next morning.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

The night before, I would prepare just before perfect doneness, drain any excess liquid, and rewarm gently and finish cooking the next morning with a bit more liquid.

I cannot stand slow-cooker steel cut oats, though I know it has its partisans: I just find it utterly loses its toothsome texture.

thanks to all of you for contributing to the Steel Cut ideas. I've copied each and am delighted that now I have alternatives. One thing--my experience with cooking them in the microwave : Make sure to put the cooking vessel in a tray for the "overflow" if it happens! Ugh--I had quite a mess. Thanks again for your suggestions.