Breakfast Time - Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

I purchased steel cut oatmeal during my last shopping trip with the intention of making something hearty and delicious the whole family would love. Not all of my people are oatmeal fans so I was on the search for something that transformed this item into something, well, less like itself. What I stumbled upon was this Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal over at Alexandra's Kitchen. This looked like the ticket as it didn't have the same runny consistency that tends to bother those with an aversion to oatmeal in it's traditional form. Let me just say, it did not disappoint!

I won't rewrite the recipe here since you can find it on Alexandra's blog, but I will share the few changes I made just based on what I had on had. I used frozen blackberries as the bottom layer, pecans for the nuts, and replaced the butter with coconut oil. I was a little worried since this was supposed to set up like a custard but the coconut oil did not affect it at all. I mixed it up the night before and then woke up early to pour into the 8 x 8 and bake it. Want to see what we topped it with?

A little bit of pure maple syrup, some Greek Yogurt, a dash of cacao nibs and broken up pecans. It was heavenly! Some french roasted coffee for hubby and me and the kids got freshly juiced orange juice. It was an amazing breakfast that they are already begging me to repeat. All except my biggest boy who likes regular oatmeal in it's intended form. Oh well, can't please them all, right?

Are you looking for more steel cut oatmeal recipes? I found an overnight mason jar version that I am in love with and will definitely be making over and over. I'll share it with you soon so be on the lookout.

Breakfast Time - Beet Acai Overnight Oatmeal

Overnight mason jar breakfasts - hopefully you are as into them as I am because I am sure you will be seeing them appear over and over here. They are so ridiculously convenient and diverse not to mention that I am a complete sucker for the aesthetic appeal of having my breakfast in a mason jar. Last time I shared a version with matcha and blueberries (check it out HERE). The bright green was fun and I loved the earthy flavor. This time I am sharing something that is completely different but equally delicious. A bright purple Beet Acai Overnight Oatmeal. Isn't it a stunning color?

Here's the recipe as I made it. I split it between two jars to share with my husband. You can see it makes a pretty wimpy serving when split so feel free to put the whole thing in one jar and eat it all up yourself if you are hungry. I'm pretty sure I had a hard boiled egg or two later to tide me over until lunch. Do what works for you!

1 c Old Fashioned Oats

2/3 c Greek Yogurt (I use plain)

2/3 c cashew milk (any milk would do)

1/3 c roasted beet puree*

1 Tbsp Acai powder

1 Tbsp Chia seeds

Mix the above in a bowl and put in a mason jar (or two depending on how much you want in 1 serving). Store in the fridge overnight. In the morning it will be thickened up and ready to eat. I topped mine with 1 Tbsp goji berries and 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts. You may also want honey if you prefer something sweet. My husband was taken aback at it's bright purple color and was expecting something extremely sweet which this is definitely not. You could also use a vanilla flavored yogurt to sweeten it up a bit if you want.

*Want to know how to make beet puree? I don't buy beets all that often but I did receive some in my Bountiful Basket and when they start popping up at the farmer's markets I will buy them from time to time. This is pretty much the only way I use beets because I have found way more uses for it in puree form than whole. Here's what I do:

1) Trim the top and bottom off the beet (save those greens, they are great for throwing into green smoothies!) and give it a rinse. 

2) Wrap the beets in foil and place on a roasting tray.

3) Roast at 425 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or when you can pierce through the biggest beet easily with a fork.

4) Let cool and then puree in a food processor until smooth. You may have to add a little water to help it along, just do it in small amounts so it doesn't get to runny.

5) Portion it out and store in freezer. Great in smoothies, oatmeal, brownies, pancakes, etc.

Here's what it looks like all blended up:

Do you like beets? How do you use them?