Banana Nut Oatmeal

I bought a few too many bananas at the store than we were able to eat in a timely fashion, so I wanted to do something with them besides the usual banana bread. Oatmeal jumps for the save! My house smelled just like I was making banana nut bread, but I think this oatmeal is even better, because you don't have to worry about it coming out too dense like banana bread often does.

Basic Steel Cut Oatmeal

What You'll Need:
1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups water
2 cups milk
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sweetener of choice
2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 pats butter

Banana Nut Variation:
2 ripe bananas, diced or smashed at your preference.
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

The Process:
   Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Mix in the oats and toast for 5-6 minutes, until you can smell the nutty aroma. Add the water, milk, vanilla and mix well, then bring to a boil. Stir in all your spices and sweetener and reduce to a simmer.

If you smashed your bananas, add them in now and simmer everything for 20-25 minutes until the oats are tender. If instead you diced them up and want to have pieces at the end, don't add the banana until there is ten minutes left in cooking. Top with extra banana slices for serving.

Don't forget, that just like the other oatmeal recipes, you can divide up the leftovers for later. Don't forget to add a little milk before reheating.