Hello and welcome back!
Can you believe that 2021 will be over in just a few weeks? I feel though as if most of it has gone by in an effort to forget 2020. Whether you had the best year, or worst year, I hope these last few weeks of 2021 will be peaceful and merry for you. And I do hope you have something to be thankful for!
To go straight to the recipe for Thanksgiving Oatmeal, click here.
I have taken a very long time with this recipe. It all started with me talking to my friend from back home one day. We were talking about seasons’ change, decorations, and, in particular – pumpkins. She mentioned that her mom makes great pumpkin oatmeal every autumn and a light went off in my head. I specifically didn’t ask her for the recipe because I knew it would be very interesting to experiment with it. I also felt that I absolutely have to work on this dish because a) I love oatmeal. And ate a lot of it growing up! b) For the longest time, I had an oatmeal on my “recipes to develop” list but somehow I never felt as excited about it. Pumpkin was the key!
Pumpkin is a main theme here but I called it “Thanksgiving oatmeal”, because it also has cinnamon, pecans, and cranberries. And that’s just Thanksgiving in a bowl!
Pumpkin puree
I created this recipe using homemade pumpkin puree. It’s something I do every year when our local church starts selling pumpkins. I make a lot of it ahead of time and freeze it to make pumpkin soup. Now it will also be used to make this oatmeal! If you need instructions on how to make it or more ways to use it, see below.
Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro, Pomegranate, and Orange Zest Gremolata
Making Pumpkin Puree
Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
Rinse and cut a pumpkin in half. Remove the middle (seeds and strands) with a spoon.
Brush the sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet cut side down and bake, at 400 f, for 45 min.
After 45 min, pierce with a knife, and if easily pierced, let cool, and separate and discard the outer layer. Process the pumpkin in a food processor or blender, weigh in increments on 2 lbs and freeze/refrigerate/cook immediately/share with someone etc.
If it’s still firm, cook another 15 minutes or until soft.
Thanksgiving Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 C old-fashioned oats I use Quaker Oats.
- pinch of salt
- 2 Tb brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon + more to taste
- 1/4 C cranberries
- 1/2 C milk
- 3/4 C homemade pumpkin puree
- 1/4 C pecans
- butter, for serving
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except pecans in a small sauce pan.
- Cook, stirring often, over low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes until oats are soft.
- Serve topped with pecans and butter. Enjoy! 🙂