This recipe is one I developed to help off-set the cost of microwave oatmeal packets from the grocery store. My kids love them but I needed to find a way to tighten our food budget. I was shocked at how inexpensive it is to simply make your own.
Powdered milk is part of the microwave packets you buy from the store. It can be substituted for regular milk or cream if you like. You simply leave the powdered milk out of the recipe and pour on whatever "milk" you want after it has cooked. If you want to make a large quantity of oatmeal packets for your kids to microwave up themselves then add the powdered milk.
For storage purposes, just make up the recipe below without any extra add ins. The fruit and nuts need to be freeze dried to be shelf stable. If you simply add dried fruit it will absorb the moisture in the sugar and the oats and make the packet stale after a few days on the shelf. Freeze dried foods are devoid of moisture and can be added to the packets for storage. There are many food storage companies that sell freeze dried foods and you can use those if you like. I like to make sure when I am doing my own stored foods at home that use the best ingredients I can find. I look for organic and non-gmo foods to be sure there aren't added chemicals or additives so that I know my family is getting something healthy.
Grocery List
Whole Oats
-make sure they are whole oats and not the instant or quick oats. Azure Standard is a bulk purchase website devoted to healthier living. You can find organic whole oats and even oat groats here. Groats are oats that haven't been rolled flat. They look a bit like a wheat kernel. I purchase a lot of what I use and store from this site now because I can get high quality organic foods at bulk prices. www.azurestandard.com
Powdered Milk
Optional Sweeteners
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Honey
Molasses
1 Serving
1/3 C Whole Oats
2 T Powdered Milk
1 tsp White Sugar or 1 T Honey for a restricted sugar diet-use powdered honey if you are making packets.
1 tsp Brown Sugar or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp molasses for a restricted sugar diet-add just before cooking.
1 Cup Cold Water
1. Combine the cold water and the powdered milk. Whisk it together until completely combined. If you try to heat the powdered milk before it is mixed into the water it will clump and harden.
2. Add all the other ingredients and microwave for approximately 2 minutes on high. WATCH this while it is cooking to figure out the appropriate time for your microwave. Cleaning up exploded oatmeal is no fun.
3. Remove it from the microwave and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken and cool off.
Multiple Servings
To make more than one serving at a time I like to use a rice cooker. I have cooked the oatmeal on the stove but find I have to stand over it a bit more and stir it. The rice cooker is brilliant! Simply double or triple-up to whatever your portions will be-the recipe and add everything into the cooker. If you are adding the powdered milk, be sure to mix that with the cold water first then add everything else. Set it for a moderate temperature and let the oatmeal cook. You will want to stir it a couple of times but it cooks itself for the most part. I haven't tried it in my crock pot yet but that is on my list.
If you have a bunch of packets you are cooking, just add however many cups of water you need to match the quantity of packets. I like this method over the microwave even because I don't have to watch it.
Flavor Variations: You may need to add more water if you add a lot of dried fruit to the mix.
Craisins and dried apples with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/8 tsp of ground cloves
Diced dried apricots and pecans with some nutmeg-just a pinch
Strawberries-dried. If you add fresh or frozen they will give off some water. You can adjust this by adding 1 T more of whole oats to absorb the extra liquid. Omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
Blueberries-dried, fresh, or frozen. If you use frozen, run them under some hot water to rinse and thaw them before adding them to the bowl. Omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
1 tsp cinnamon and 2 T Raisins
Bananas-dried with 1 tsp cinnamon. If you want to use fresh bananas then add slices after the oatmeal has cooked. The texture gets slimy if you cook them with the oatmeal. Add some pecans or walnuts for banana bread oatmeal.
Peaches with a pinch of nutmeg-omit the powdered milk and add heavy cream after it has cooked.
Anything else that sounds good to you!
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