Chewy Granola or Skillet Oatmeal

We eat a lot of oats at our house for breakfast, between baked oatmeal, muffins, and granola.  And now I have another iteration of oats for breakfast!  

This recipe is from Fountain Avenue Kitchen, where Ann also calls this "chewy granola" and "not-mushy oatmeal."  But since the "mushiness" of cooked oatmeal doesn't bother me, I ignored that name to call this "chew granola" or "skillet oatmeal."

I love how quick this recipe is, and like a granola, it is endlessly customizable.  The texture reminds me of baked oatmeal, but without the need of an oven and eggs. Furthermore, sometimes in the morning, I want a soft chewy thing to eat instead of the serious crunch of granola.  Granola is too crunchy for Phoebe, but she can eat this oatmeal and loves it.

I'm sorry I only have one strange photo of the skillet oatmeal; breakfast time is a blur around here.  That's traditional crunchy granola in the big jar and and the leftover skillet oatmeal in the small jar, just to give you an idea of its appearance. 

People are busy around here, let me tell you!  Their projects overtake them at any time of day.

Skillet Oatmeal - serves 4

Heat to steaming and set aside (I do this in the microwave):

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

In large skillet, melt:

2 Tbsp. coconut oil or butter

Add and saute together, stirring frequently:

2 cups rolled oats

1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. coconut, optional

Cook and stir until the oats are toasted and the sugar is starting to caramelize, a few minutes.  Pour the hot milk/water over the oats mixture and stand back - it will steam intensely.  Stir.  Cover pan and reduce heat to low for a few minutes until oats have absorbed the liquid.

Serve hot or room temperature with a dollop of yogurt, fruit, toasted nuts, etc.  Keeps in the fridge and reheats nicely in the microwave.

Notes:  

1.I use my 14" shallow pan for this recipe because as Ann explains, you want the liquid to barely cover the bottom of the pan and moisten the oats.

2. Quick oats would turn to mush in this recipe!

3. Ann uses just water for the liquid, but I like the creaminess of the milk and the protein match between milk and grain.