Step Up to the Calorie Counter: Fried Oatmeal

What does one do with leftover oatmeal? Apparently, fry it. At least, that's the suggestion from Lucy's Morsels, and it sounds like a recipe to be tested with this oatmeal-loving family.

Choose healthy oils and fresh toppings and you'll have a tasty option for breakfast that will encourage even the most ardent of meal-skippers to make time for breakfast.

1. Make a big batch of oatmeal. (Consider this healthy overnight slow-cooker recipe). 
2. Pour the oatmeal into a pan a few inches thick. 
3. Cover and refrigerate. (Cool it for at least 2-3 hours, or even a few days.) 
4. Heat a pan over high heat, spray with nonstick spray or butter. 
5. Cut oatmeal to the size of the desired serving. 
6. Sear both sides of the oatmeal square - it takes a while because of all the liquid. 
7. Choose your toppings and enjoy!

What other healthy foods can you cook differently to mix it up?

Step Up to the Calorie Counter: Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal

Save money. Eat exactly the food you enjoy.Reduce over-processed food from your diet.

These are just a few ways homemade instant oatmeal is a good idea. Check out this great recipe from Kate Morin at Greatist.

Makes about 16 single servings

What You'll Need:

• 6 cups quick cooking oats
• ½ tsp salt

Flavoring Ingredients:

• The Classic: ¼ cup brown sugar
• Raisin Spice: 1 cup raisins, 2 tbsp. cinnamon
• Chocolate mix: 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, 2 tbsp brown sugar
• Tropical Mix: ¼ cup dried apricots, ¼ cup crushed macadamia or hazelnuts, ¼ cup powdered creamer (like CoffeeMate)
• Get Nutty: ½ cup chopped toasted nuts (pecans or slivered almonds work well)

Tools: 

• Blender or food processor (if you want to cut down the recipe and make a much smaller batch, a Magic Bullet works wonders, here)
• 16 plastic baggies, OR a large jar for storage (I often keep my mix in a large jar, and scoop out one serving into a single-serve Tupperware container when I want it on-the-go)
• Large spoon ( for mixing, duh)
• Large bowl

What to Do:

1. Place 2 cups oatmeal into blender/food processor until it turns to powder.
2. Mix powdered oats in large bowl with remaining 4 cups whole oats. Add salt and whatever extras you want. Stir until evenly combined.
3. Place mixture in airtight container or divide into single-serve portions in baggies. Usually, it’s a heaping ½ cup. (If you think that’s too big a serving for you, you can cut it down and just have more single servings.
4. To eat: Mix the oats with ¾ cup boiling water. Stir to combine, and let sit for 3 minutes.  As with any oatmeal, you can use milk instead of water if you so desire!

Recipe and photo courtesy Greatist