Instant Oatmeal "Packets"

Homemade Instant Oatmeal - the topping possibilities are endless!

My brother just called this week and reminded me that I haven’t put my Instant Oatmeal recipe onto the blog. We love Fruit and Cream Instant Oatmeal packets at our house; they are creamy, sweet, and so tasty. To save money, we buy non-Quaker Oats brands, like Great Value, but it is still pricey when each person in the family wants at least 2 packets in their bowl for breakfast. Also, the purchased packets sometimes seem a little too sweet.

Our solution was to make our own Instant Oatmeal. I’m not sure where the recipe originated, but we have been making and enjoying our version for years. Some of the benefits of making our own Instant Oatmeal are that we can determine our own portion size, the amount and type of sugar used (such as white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, Splenda, etc.), and the best part: choosing our own flavors! 

My kids usually favor Oreo cookie crumbs, so I use the food processor to crumble a package of Oreo cookies, and store this “topping” in a covered plastic container for easy access. My favorite flavor is chocolate chip cookie. I buy the cheapest, crispy, chocolate chip cookies, and crumble them just like the Oreos. One tablespoon of crumbs in a bowl of oatmeal is delicious! Fresh fruit is a close second-favorite for me. Fresh berries, Mmm, good!

Sometimes we do use purchased Instant Oatmeal packets, supplemented with a few tablespoons of our own Instant Oatmeal. We save money that way too, by using fewer of the purchased packets.

Instant Oatmeal

Yield: 8 servings, 4 cups dry mix

2½ c Quick oats

1¼ c Powdered quick oats*

1 ts Salt

10 TB Non-dairy powdered coffee creamer

  6 TB Sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well. Store in a covered container until ready to use. For a serving size comparable to a Quaker Oatmeal packet, measure out ⅓-½ cup of the oatmeal mixture into a bowl; add desired topping, and boiling water to desired consistency. Stir and enjoy.

*NOTE: To make the powdered oats, grind some oatmeal/quick oats in a blender or food processor on HIGH, to a coarse powder. This is what makes the mixture creamy.

Some Topping Possibilities:

• 2 Tbsp. dried fruit, chopped in food processor, with ¼ tsp. cinnamon

• 1 crushed Oreo cookie (food processor crumbles them well)

• 2 small crushed chocolate chip cookies (like Mothers brand)

• Use brown sugar instead of white, and add ¼ tsp. cinnamon

• Use brown sugar instead of white, add 1 Tbsp. raisins, and ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ½ crushed cinnamon graham crackers

• 1 tsp. cake decorating sprinkles

• ½ tsp. “Pop Rocks” candy—for a celebration day!

• 2 Tbsp. Butterfinger Babies, smashed, or ⅓ of a regular Butterfingers candybar, crushed

It takes a little advance preparation, but you save a lot of money doing them this way!

Store 4x the recipe in a gallon jar

Chili Bread - Dinner In a Beautiful Package

Chili Bread is one of our favorite meals! It tastes great and looks fantastic too. The best part is - it's not at all difficult to make.



I'll include the recipe for my white bread dough, but if you're in a hurry, Rhoades or any other prepared bread dough will be a quick way to get this meal to the table. 

I got this recipe at a Bosch bread-making class. There are a lot of variations you could make for the filling. In fact, whatever sounds good as a filling (as long as it's cooked, and not too thin) should work. (The cream cheese seals the inside bottom of the braid so that it doesn't get soggy.) Some variations that I have thought of are:

Pizza: thin layer of cream cheese, pizza sauce, pepperoni, sauteed peppers and onions, cheese, pineapple, and olives.
Calzone: Sausage, ricotta cheese, spinach, shredded Parmesan cheese, and seasonings.
Broccoli/Cheese: thin layer of cream cheese, steamed & drained broccoli, and thick cheese sauce.
Spaghetti: thin layer of cream cheese, spaghetti with thick sauce, mozzarella cheese. Coat exterior of bread braid with egg white, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, and garlic powder.
Chili Bread is still my favorite, though!

Chili Bread

 Yield: 6-8 servings

           1          Recipe white or wheat bread dough (2 lb loaf)

           3-4  oz Cream Cheese, softened

           1  can  Chili with beans

           1  can  Diced green chilies

          ¾  c       Sour cream

                        Grated cheddar cheese (opt.)

          1   can Sliced olives

Prepare your own bread dough (see recipe below), or buy frozen bread dough and thaw it. Preheat oven to 350 F.

After the first rise, roll dough onto large greased cookie sheet (half-sheet cake pan). Roll it ¼-½" thick. 

Down the lengthwise center third of the dough, spread the cream cheese. Spread chili over the cream. Sprinkle the diced chilies over the chili beans. Spoon sour cream evenly on top. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and olives.

Create the “braid” by folding up the short ends of the rectangle over the filling and cutting the long sides of the rectangle into 1½" strips. Fold the strips over the filling, alternating sides and pulling the dough to overlap in the middle, so that it looks braided. If desired, brush dough with egg wash (whisked egg with a little water).

Bake at 350 F. for 20-30 minutes (longer for wheat dough), until bread starts to brown and looks done. Serve in slices, with lettuce and tomatoes.

White Bread – Pillsbury

Yield: 1 Loaf

1⅛ c Milk (1 cup plus 2 TB)

2 TB Oil

3½ c Flour

2 TB Sugar

1½ ts Salt

1 TB Active dry yeast (1 pkg)

1 Egg

If you have a bread machine, just put all of the ingredients into the pan, liquid first. Then set on DOUGH setting until done. 

If not, heat milk and oil until very warm (120 to 130 F.). In large bowl, blend warm liquid, 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast and egg at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough. On well-floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (or 15 minutes in mixer.) Place dough in greased bowl; turn greased-side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

If you are making Chili Bread, continue with directions above.

If you are making a regular loaf of bread, generously grease (not oil) a 9x5 or 8x4-inch loaf pan. Punch down dough; and shape into 1 loaf. Place in prepared pan. Cover; let rise in warm place until light, 30 to 45 minutes. Heat oven to 350 F. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from pan; cool. If desired, brush warm loaf with melted margarine or butter.