Oatmeal Cereal Recipes

Oatmeal is among the foods that are full of goodness and great for health. The reason why oatmeal is recommended by doctors for just about everybody is because it contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Based on a number of studies, it has been concluded that soluble fiber seems to reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines. A cup and a half of cooked oatmeal gives you 6 grams of fiber, and if you add fruits such as bananas into it, you can add another 4 grams of fiber. These 10 grams of soluble fiber daily can have a significant effect in decreasing your total and LDL cholesterol. However, as having the same old oatmeal everyday can get quite boring, here are some oatmeal cereal recipes for variety.

Apricot Honey Oatmeal
Ingredients

• 3½ cups water
• 2 cups uncooked oats (such as Quaker®)
• ⅓ cup chopped dried apricots
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup honey

Directions

Combine water, apricots, honey and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add in the oats and return to boil. Lower heat to medium and cook for one minute for quick oats. Old-fashioned oats will take about 5 minutes, or cook until most of liquid is absorbed. Take off from heat and serve, if found too thick, a little milk may be stirred in. If you do not like raisins, you can use either dried peaches or pears, dried cranberries or blueberries, dried apples, dates or diced mixed dried fruit.

Creamy Maple Cranberry Oatmeal
Ingredients

• 3½ cups fat-free or low-fat milk
• ¼ cup toasted wheat germ
• 2 cups uncooked oats (such as Quaker®)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup (such as Aunt Jemima® Syrup, regular or light)
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Directions

Bring the milk to a gentle boil in a saucepan and stir in the oats, cranberries and maple syrup. Bring to a boil once again and then reduce heat to medium. Stir and cook 1 minute for quick oats and 5 minutes for old-fashioned oats. Once most of the milk is absorbed, transfer to a serving bowl and stir in wheat germ. Let it stand for a minute before digging in. Serve with milk, maple syrup and vanilla yogurt. If you don't have the time to put it together in the morning, you can make quite a bit at a time and freeze single servings of cooked oatmeal. When you wish to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and microwave covered in the morning, on defrost until hot.

Crunchy Oat Cereal Recipe
Ingredients

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 cups milk
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 3 tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 medium-size ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

Combine milk, brown sugar, spices and salt, bring to a gentle boil and then stir in the oats. Once again bring to a boil and them reduce the heat. As instructed above cook quick oats for 1 minute and old-fashioned oats for 5 minutes. Once most of the milk is absorbed, transfer to a serving bowl and stir in mashed bananas and pecans. This recipe makes enough to serve 6.

Old-fashioned Simple Oatmeal Cereal
Ingredients

• 1½ cups Quaker quick oats
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup melted margarine
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Warm milk to serve
• Fresh fruit, brown sugar, or other preferred topping

Directions

Combine the Quaker quick oats, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup melted margarine, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well. Spread this mixture in a 9 x 13'' greased pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 350°F, until the edges turn golden brown. Transfer this delicious mixture to a breakfast bowl and drizzle with milk. Top with fruit and brown sugar.

These recipes use the same basic ingredient, but each one has a different and unique taste. Apart from these variations, you can include oats in other meals too by using it as a coating for chicken, or making the all time favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.