I shared this idea for a savory oats recipe five years ago. The photos are blowing my mind! Here's the original post (with a few edits):
This crockpot meal came out A-MAZING! Even --are you ready for this??-- The Husband agreed! He, the man who doesnāt like chilies or stews or one-pot anything! I was shocked, to say the least. This is totally my kind of meal, so itās nice to have him on the same page for a change.
How did the 7-Year-Old like it?
He was not pleased to get a bowl of āstuffā all mixed together but he knows by now, resistance is futile. Heās not gonna win.
I asked him what he thought and he said, āItās good!ā āThumbs up or down?ā I asked.
HA! He may be giving the thumbs up but his face says it all. I reminded him that sometimes you eat something because you like it, sometimes you eat something because it's good for you, and sometimes you eat something out of respect for the person who made it for you.
How did The Toddler Like it?
I tried to give him a mix of the items deconstructed as well as all together in the bowl. He fussed, made faces, cried and screamed. He ended up eating 2 bites of chicken, taking a bite of carrot and spitting it out and having one spoonful of oats.
Then he gave the sign for all done. I looked at him square in the eye and said, āOK, no snacks until you finish your dinner,ā to which he made a face because even though he doesn't talk much, the little bugger understands everything I say. About 45 minutes later he went to the pantry and said, ānnnack.ā
āNot until you finish your dinner.ā
He ran over to his chair and grabbed his plate. There were 3 carrots and 2 small pieces of chicken on it. Not too much to ask for dinner if you ask me. He picked up a carrot, thought about eating it for a minute and then threw it to the ground. Needless to say ānnnackā didnāt happen.
I have faith that one day all of this will be worth it. My kids will simply just eat with no bargains, faces, crying, or worry. Please tell me itās possible. PLEASE!
Well, it's five years later, and I can now answer myself. It does pay off! The Now-13-Year-Old loves this type of meal. He's all about the home cooking. The toddler above who is now seven is still my pickier eater, but he takes his try bites with much less drama. Actually, it's giving me hope considering he's the same stage his brother was back then.
Ingredients
1 cup steel-cut oats 160g
32 oz chicken broth or stock
2-3 boneless chicken breasts ~20oz (Mine were frozen)
4-5 carrots cut into larger pieces
1 15 oz can great northern beans drained and rinsed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
Put everything in the crockpot.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours.
Before serving, shred the chicken breasts with two forks.
š Recipe
Savory Oat Stew with Chicken and Northern Beans
A savory oatsĀ recipe with chicken, carrots, and beans. A great mid-week slow cooker meal idea.
I wanted to say thank you, for the best budget-friendly and filling recipe ever! We were out of staples and you came to the rescue! Didn't even have any vegetables to throw in, but my partner still requested this 3 times since! Made it 3 times in 2 weeks and will be making it again today. The beauty is you can change up the spices each time to make it different, ditto with any veggies on hand. We buy oats in bulk and 1 cup still makes a good amount. Will be doubling today to have some leftovers. Tastes so good!
Naomi
I wanted to say thank you, for the best budget-friendly and filling recipe ever! We were out of staples and you came to the rescue! Didn't even have any vegetables to throw in, but my partner still requested this 3 times since! Made it 3 times in 2 weeks and will be making it again today. The beauty is you can change up the spices each time to make it different, ditto with any veggies on hand. We buy oats in bulk and 1 cup still makes a good amount. Will be doubling today to have some leftovers. Tastes so good!
Barbara Eskew
so glad to see you popping back up on my computer!!!
Rebecca
Roni, this has been a staple at my house since you posted it way back when! It is my FAVORITE lunch to take to work!
Roni
That's awesome! I got a few requests for it not realizing people liked it as much as they did.