While I rocked back and forth in my parents’ yellow easy chair last weekend, typing up a blog post, my younger brother lay sprawled out in between his two laptops on the green carpet. As a summer intern for a pretty famous company, he practically works around the clock. A couple of nights, he would’ve stayed past midnight, but the shuttle stopped running before then!
Still, the company pays him really well, and they provide gourmet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners free-of-charge. (Plus they stock the break room with big jars of pretzel M&Ms!) All of which means… My brother rarely needs to cook, as long as he buys a few cups of yogurt for the apartment fridge.
I asked him what he ate for weekend breakfasts, fully expecting “cereal” as his response (corn flakes, crispex, or honey bunches of oats as the flavor du jour), so I did a double-take when he answered, “Oatmeal.”
“Oatmeal?” I repeated. “As in instant packets? Or do-it-yourself on the stove?”
“Both,” he replied. “I like to make my own, but if my milk goes bad or I run out, I just use water in those instant microwave packets. Plus they’re faster!”
Well huh, I thought. I’ve never actually used milk in my oatmeal. Maybe I’ll have to give it a try!
So after our weekend away (and hearing lots of stories from Mom’s Hawaii business trip!), I arrived back at home determined to cook oatmeal my brother’s way. With palm trees and paradise still on my mind, I mixed in mangoes and coconut, which gave it an authentic (and addictive!) tropical taste. Since the oatmeal only took 5 minutes to make, maybe my brother will start preparing more of his breakfasts at home!
(Oh wait… He might be allergic to mangoes. Oops. I’m really sorry bud!!)
This easy breakfast is sweet, creamy, and filling!
- Add the milk to a small pot. Heat to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add in the oats and sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue stirring for another 5 minutes. Once the oatmeal thickens, turn off the heat and stir in the mango and coconut. Serve immediately.
Note: For a vegan version, use non-dairy milk or water in place of the skim milk.
Where did you get the freeze-dried mango?
Susan, I found my freeze-dried mango at Trader Joe’s. Other stores may carry it though!
Hahaha, LOVE that last picture! I haven’t eaten oatmeal in a while, but I used to LOVE making it with milk! So yummy! I know you’re not a fan of eggs, but in case you ever want to try something new… I used to love adding an egg white into my oats. You just drop it in there before you cook it, make sure to keep stirring, and it makes for the fluffiest (and slightly more protein packed) oats ever!!
Actually… I’ve gone out of my comfort zone and have been eating egg whites nearly every day for breakfast since “quitting” my old job! 😀 My newest thing is a 3-egg white omelette with dried basil and mozzarella cheese. So I’ll definitely try your egg white oatmeal! Can you do that with water too? (Sometimes I, umm, forget to buy milk at the store…)
Nice! Yeah, I used to do it with just water all the time… and usually in the microwave! Just be sure to take it out every 30 seconds and stir!
Egg white and basil… YUM! I worked at this restaurant in college called The Olive Tree Caffe, and something I used to eat there all the time was what they called the “deLite omelette.” Egg whites with tomato and basil! SO GOOD! I love how the egg whites get all crispy!
I need to get on the oatmeal train. It’s so healthy! Those internet companies are the worst – they work people to the bone!
I don’t eat nearly enough oatmeal either, Dorothy. But I normally only crave it during the fall and winter when it’s cooler! I’m so happy he’s almost done, but then it’s back to computer science college classes. They may actually be more work!
Can this be done as an overnight oatmeal?
Yes! I’d recommend using half milk and half yogurt to achieve the best consistency as an overnight oats recipe. Otherwise, decrease the milk to ½ cup instead. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the oatmeal Christine!