OATMEAL 5 WAYS

Oatmeal is affordable, easy to make, filling and super nutritious. But those qualities may not be big selling points for your kids. Perhaps they’ve had a few oatmeal nightmares in the past—tales of flavorless mush, we suspect—and wouldn’t touch the stuff with a 10-foot pole. Good news: here are five recipes to help redeem the undervalued oat. From breakfast to dinner and dessert, they’re sure to be pleasing to the eye and—hooray!—the palate.

Vanilla Yogurt & Oat Parfait

2 servings

These mixed berry oat and yogurt parfaits are the perfect healthy and nutritious breakfast.

1 cup plain yogurt
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1 Tbs melted coconut oil
2-3 Tbs maple syrup or honey
a handful of blueberries, strawberries & chopped apricots

In a small bowl, mix yogurt with vanilla extract. In another bowl, mix oats, chopped almonds, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Mix fruits together.

Place some of the vanilla yogurt in the bottom of the glass, then a few teaspoons of crunchy oat mixture. Top with the fruit. Repeat the process.

Put the parfaits in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins and Walnuts

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Soft, chewy and delicious, these cookies feature plumped-up raisins and a nice crunch of nuts.

1 1/4 cups raisins
3-4 Tbs water
1 cup Butter Flavor Crisco or 1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups broken walnut pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for tops of cookies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place raisins into a small saucepan, add the water and bring to the boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Off the heat, cover and set aside to steep.

In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to cream together the shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon. Stir in the oats, then blend in the raisins and the walnuts; mix well.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Place some granulated sugar in a small bowl. Moisten the bottom of a small glass in water and dip into sugar, then press the glass gently onto the top of each cookie to slightly flatten.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

Let cookies cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then use a spatula to carefully remove warm cookies to wire rack to completely cool. (Do not leave cookies on cookie sheet longer than a minute or two, or they will become stuck.)

Store in an airtight container or freezer bag; these cookies freeze well.

Banana Oat Smoothie

1 serving

This deliciously thick and creamy banana and oat smoothie with a hint of cinnamon makes a healthy and filling breakfast or snack.

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 banana, sliced and frozen
1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blend oats in a blender until they are fine crumbs. Add the frozen banana, milk and cinnamon and blend well.

Pour in a glass.

Spicy Oat Crusted Chicken with Sunshine Salsa

4 servings

This unique recipe pairs the zip of seasoned oat-crusted chicken with a side of zesty citrusy salsa to perfectly balance out the flavors.

CHICKEN:
2 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs butter, melted
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups Quaker Quick Oats, uncooked
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbs water
4 boned and skinned chicken breast halves (about 5-6 oz each)
Chopped cilantro (optional)

SUNSHINE SALSA:
3/4 cup prepared salsa
3/4 cup coarsely-chopped orange sections

In small bowl, combine salsa and orange sections. Refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In flat, shallow dish, stir together oil, melted butter, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt.

Add oats, stirring until evenly moistened.

In second flat, shallow dish, beat egg and water with fork until frothy.

Dip chicken into combined egg and water, then coat completely in seasoned oats. Place chicken on foil-lined baking sheet. Pat any extra oat mixture onto top of chicken.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and oat coating is golden brown.

Serve with Sunshine Salsa. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Blueberry Pecan Baked Oatmeal

6-8 servings

Made with wholesome oats, juicy berries, and pecans, this blueberry baked oatmeal makes a comforting breakfast casserole.

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the dish
2 1/2 cups blueberries, divided
Lightly sweetened Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch or 2-quart baking dish with butter.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.

In another bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk; then whisk in the milk and vanilla until well combined. Add the milk mixture to the oat mixture, along with the melted butter.

Scatter 2 cups of the blueberries evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oatmeal mixture over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup nuts and 1/2 cup blueberries on top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the pecans on top are a rich brown color and the oats are set. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with Greek yogurt, if desired.