Take your oatmeal outside the bowl and try this unique pan fried oatmeal with fresh fruit and yogurt. You’ll love the crispy buttery crust.

Front view of pan-sered oatmeal topped with plain yogurt and a sliced strawberry.

Pan fried oatmeal, guys. We're pretty excited about this. Push aside that typical bowl-of-mush oatmeal and replace a beautifully presented pan-seared oatmeal.

How it comes together

The scenario starts basically the same as the bowl-of-mush (which, by the way, we also love). Cook steel cut oats and milk (and a couple other pantry staples) until they are thickened. Then pour it into a baking dish and let it cool in the fridge overnight. Once it is firm, you cut it into slices. This is where the magic happens.

Heat a pan with some butter (of course!) and sear a slice of oatmeal until golden brown and crispy. Top with anything you want! We chose yogurt and fresh fruit, but we're also looking forward to trying this with maple syrup, fruit preserves, or milk.

Great for Meal Prep

It’s also a great way to get a head-start on breakfasts for the week. Pop a pan of this oatmeal in the fridge and then in the morning all you have to do is cut a slice and sear it up, top and serve. The combination of oats and milk (and yogurt if you go that route!) will keep you full all morning long. It’s a straightforward and rich way to get your day off to a great start.

Front view of a serving of oatmeal on white plate, with coffee cup in background.

Pan Fried Oatmeal plus Fresh Fruit and Yogurt

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 8 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups steel-cut oats (or Irish oats)
2 cups 2% milk (any type of milk is fine)
2 cups water
¼ cup packed brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
butter, as needed for frying
Topping suggestions: yogurt, maple syrup, fresh fruit, milk

Method

In a large and deep saucepan, add the oats, milk, water, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until thick. Be careful as it gets thick, it tends to spatter.
Spray an 8 × 8 or 9 × 9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Pour oatmeal in the prepared pan, smooth into an even layer, cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve, slice oatmeal into 6 evenly-sized squares. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add a small pat of butter (about a teaspoon). Fry oatmeal squares for about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and heated through.
Serve immediately topped with your choice of toppings. We recommend yogurt, maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit, or milk.