My family of five has pretty hearty appetites. It use to only take a few days before most of the food in our cabinets started dwindling.
To counter this, we've started buying quite a bit of our staples in bulk. We have tall metal shelving in our basement that houses large sacks of grains and flour, bags of dried fruit, jars of sauces, jams and preserves. It's a nice feeling, needing something and being able to just walk downstairs and grab it.
It's also an easy way to loose money on food - if you don't make an effort to use it all up before it goes bad. I haven't really ran into that problem yet, but I am diligent on keeping an ongoing inventory to avoid it.
I thought it might be fun to do a series on all the different ways to use up what you've got stored.
First up - Rolled Oats
** Recipes are linked to each use **
I was able to buy a 10 pound bag of oats for $6.80
10 pounds is a lot of oats, let me tell you! I have had this bag for a few months now, and still have more than five pounds left. Thankfully, dried grains have a long shelf life.
10 Ways to Use Rolled Oats
1). Fruit Crisps - you can use just about any fruit - I always grab whatever is close to going bad - before it actually does of course.
2). Granola - this is so versatile and so much better for you than store bought cereal. We make and use half a gallon of granola a week. You can find our favorite recipe here.
3). Breakfast Cookies - my kids love these! I'm sure half the reason is in thinking they get to have a "real" cookie for breakfast. I love them because they're quick, easy and freeze well.
4). Oatmeal Cookies - our whole family's favorite cookie! Try the recipe with tart cherries and chunks of dark chocolate instead of raisins - yumm!
5). Oatmeal - okay, okay, kind of obvious, but it really does make a great warm hearty breakfast for hungry kids. You can make a big batch and then add each person's favorite ingredients to their bowl. It keeps everyone happy.
6). Oat Bread - Oats add depth and chewiness to bread. If you've never had oat bread, make some, you may never eat normal bread again!
7). Fish or Chicken Breading - use rolled oats instead of bread crumbs.
8). Meatloaf extender - Instead of using 2 lbs of ground beef in meatloaf, use 1 lb and then add 1 cup of oats to the mixture.
9). Oatmeal Pancakes - Super easy and has more fiber than traditional pancakes.
10). Apple Oat Muffins - Make for an easy and quick breakfast on the go.
How do you use your oats?
