Turn Leftover Oatmeal Into Toasted Oatmeal Squares
Oatmeal is not my favorite food. It makes me look like a child who eats lima beans and I eat them with a sad face. But with a little oil, there’s a way to turn oatmeal into something even haters will love: crunchy, fried oatmeal squares.
If you’ve ever had leftover oatmeal in the fridge, you know how it sets. Oatmeal contains quite a lot of starch, and when you cook oatmeal, the starch gelatinizes , resulting in a thick porridge. When cool, the oatmeal will harden and hold its shape. In fact, it holds its shape so well that once you take the oatmeal out of the fridge, you can take it out of the bowl and hold it in your hand like a frisbee meant for a trash can.
You should try the fried oatmeal
Like polenta, this thick, starchy brick can be cut into shapes and fried in oil. What was once an unappetizing, wet, gray brick of despair can turn into a golden, toasted treat with crispy edges. After roasting, you can serve it sweet or savory.
Fried oatmeal squares start with regular oatmeal. This recipe is great news for leftover oatmeal, or if you’re tired of the traditional bowl of oats and want to change something up. It’s even good for fair-weather oatmeal lovers (like me) who want to love it but can’t eat warm porridge often.
After you’ve cooked your oatmeal according to package directions, pour it into a lightly oiled baking dish or any container with walls. The intention is to have a ½ inch thick layer of oatmeal. Flatten the top and refrigerate (cover if you cook tomorrow, but not necessarily if you roast in the afternoon). Let it cool for an hour or overnight. When ready, remove the oatmeal from the pan by loosening the edges and inverting the container onto a cutting board. Cut oatmeal into squares. Alternatively, if you’re only making one or two squares, you can leave the oatmeal in the bowl and cut out the shapes while it’s inside, then use a spatula to scoop up the pieces. I recommend a serrated knife to cut through the grits so you have clean edges. Heat ¼ tablespoon salted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the block of rolled oats and cook for two to three minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip the square over to brown the other side, about 2 more minutes.
Salted butter is key. If you only have unsalted ones, then I totally recommend sprinkling each side of the oatmeal square with a large pinch of salt before frying. After frying, you can sprinkle roasted oatmeal with cinnamon sugar, drizzle generously with maple syrup, or even sprinkle hot oatmeal over bacon, cheese, and runny egg.
For an extra level of spiciness, roll oatmeal squares in shredded hard cheese, as in my recipe below. The cheese will stick to the existing moisture of the chilled oatmeal, so there’s no need to dip it in an egg or anything. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese and fry it immediately to a golden brown color due to the low moisture content of hard cheese, and since the cheese is crispy, you can easily turn it over with a spatula so the other side can melt and become crispy too. In the end, you will receive a tempting parcel of oatmeal wrapped in cheese.
How to make Roasted Oatmeal with Parmesan Crust
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned cooked oatmeal
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 – 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Prepare oatmeal as usual, following package directions. While hot, pour the oatmeal into a lightly oiled rectangular baking dish. Smooth out the top. Cover and let cool in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight. (If you already have some leftover oatmeal in the fridge, don’t worry about making squares. Just take a knife and cut the oatmeal “steaks” for frying.)
Lay a cold oatmeal board on a cutting board and cut into four to six squares with a serrated knife. Press 1 tablespoon of cheese firmly onto one side of one square.
Melt about ¼ tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, place a square of oatmeal cheese side down in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. While it’s cooking, press down 1 tablespoon of cheese, side up. Once the cheese has browned, turn the square over and cook for 2 more minutes or until browned.
Repeat for all squares. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on each oatmeal square and serve with eggs, stews, salads, or on its own.