I am just in the best, cheeriest, most holiday-tastic mood today, guys! I’ve worked really hard to try to get a big chunk of my holiday to-do list done before December started, and let me tell you, it feels awesome to know that I have so much done already.

Our holiday cards are already in the mail (dropped them in the mailbox on our drive up to Thanksgiving dinner). All of our Christmas shopping is done (wrapping still has to happen—but I love wrapping gifts!). I’ve already made and frozen a whole bunch of cookie dough for holiday baking. I have a ton of fun holiday recipes already developed and ready to show off to you guys. Our guest rooms are all organized and ready to accept holiday visits from loved ones. We went and nabbed our Christmas tree (a beautiful 10 foot blue spruce) on Black Friday, and we’re slowly but surely decking the halls. And I have so many fun events and happenings going on in the month of December. Bring it on, St. Nick!

I know I talked earlier in the week about how I’m a little bit bummed about missing out on some of my favorite holiday foods, but my mood has done a total 180. Yeah, it sucks that I have to skip some of the yumminess this year (and kinda hilarious that I’m taking all my own food to holiday gatherings this year), but, in all likelihood, next year I’ll be right back in the mix, and it gives me a chance to try out new tastes this year. I’m absolutely loving my coconut milk eggnog (so much so, it might become my “go to” eggnog even when I’m back on dairy), and I’ve been putting in just about everything. The best of these eggnogg-y creations? Eggnog steel cut oats.

I have a serious love-hate relationship with oats. I think they are healthy and an incredibly delicious, cozy breakfast for a chilly late-November morning. But no matter how full I am after eating a bowl of oats (and how much protein-packed and healthy fat-laden add-ins I toss in the bowl), I’m always hungry an hour later. You can pretty much set your watch by it. My tummy is just a super speedy oatmeal processing factory. Thankfully, steel cut oats seem to keep me feeling full a lot longer than the regular rolled oats. So I’m all about these chewy, yummy whole oats right now.

If you’ve never cooked steel cut oats, you should know that they take quite a bit longer than standard rolled oats. On the stovetop, you’re looking at 30 minutes or so until they’re ready to eat. Which is why one of my favorite ways to make steel cut oats is to use my rice cooker. It takes less than a minute to put everything in the rice cooker, and then I press a button and wham-bam, breakfast is ready an hour later. If you don’t have a rice cooker (I highly recommend getting one), you can also cook the oats overnight in a slow cooker, so they are ready as soon as you lift your head from the pillow. I’ve included directions for all three cooking methods below.

Enjoy!

Eggnog Steel Cut Oats

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• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

These festive eggnog steel cut oats are the perfect healthy breakfast for the holiday season.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup eggnog (try my Coconut Milk Eggnog)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• Additional toppings (butter, nuts, maple syrup, brown sugar, fresh nutmeg)

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Instructions

Stove Top Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the oats are tender, but chewy. Top with desired toppings and serve.

Rice Cooker Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in the basin of a rice cooker. Cook on the brown rice or porridge setting. Top with desired toppings and serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in the basin of a slow cooker (depending on the size of your slow cooker, you might need to double the recipe to avoid burning). Cook the oats on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-6. Top with desired toppings and serve.