Oatmeal with Quinoa

*Do not add chia seeds - see note at the end of this recipe.

In response to my popular Instant Pot Explosion blog post, I've had a few blog readers ask for my oatmeal with quinoa recipe, which is made in the Instant Pot. This seems a bit odd...you guys aren't trying to recreate that gooey mess in your own kitchens, right? 

My recipe does make delicious, foolproof Instant Pot oatmeal. It's only for patient people though. Whatever you do, do not manually release the pressure valve at the end of the cooking cycle!

This recipe is also great in a Crock Pot, though that method takes longer. I like to set the temperature to Low before bed. What a hearty, indulgent breakfast to wake up to! 

I've been cooking up batches of my Oatmeal with Quinoa for years, long before I'd heard of the Instant Pot, and have even gifted the dry ingredients to health-conscious friends and family, who've suggested I sell this. Shark Tank, here I come!

Oatmeal with Quinoa

Featured in 36 Foolproof Instant Pot Recipes

Look! In the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...Super Oatmeal! 
(Actually, it really should not be in the sky. Instant Pot fail!)
See the little specks? That's part of what makes it so super.

The best thing about my Oatmeal with Quinoa recipe is that it's much healthier than regular oatmeal recipes. Start your day with this and you can feel better about all those cookies and fried donuts and ice cream (can you tell I have a bit of a sweet tooth?) you munch on throughout the rest of the day. 

It's really good. I'm eating my Oatmeal with Quinoa as I write this.

Basically, you throw your dry ingredients into the Instant Pot (or slow cooker), then cover them with double the amount of liquid. For example, I fill the dry ingredients to the 1L line, then cover them with milk to the 2L line. 

I do this every Sunday evening and it creates enough for me to have breakfast every day for the next week. It's nice knowing I have a hot, satisfying meal ready to go before work each day, especially as I'm still not eating cereal.

This also works well as a PIP (Pot In Pot) Instant Pot recipe, which makes cleanup a breeze!

When my Oatmeal with Quinoa is done cooking, I throw in an entire bag of frozen cranberries. Frozen cranberries are the best thing ever in oatmeal! I always stock up when they go on sale, usually around Thanksgiving. The same goes for tiny chickens, but that's off topic.

Please do not add tiny chickens to your Oatmeal with Quinoa.

New Year's Resolution = Stop being so rambly on my blog. Stay on topic. Focus.

Telling you that last part was super off topic.

Quick side story, related to frozen cranberries so I'm not technically breaking my resolution. (Also, I recently read that no one makes resolutions anymore and felt a bit ashamed because I love making resolutions and discussing them.) 

I bought all of the bags of frozen cranberries you see in the photo above, plus quite a few more (I'd already been into my stash for several months when the photo was taken) at the same time, right before Thanksgiving. This caused a man in the checkout line to jokingly ask how many people I'm expecting for dinner, a big goofy smile on his face. I'd been at work all day and it was cold and dark and I was tired and my nose was stuffy and I had a headache and my shoes were uncomfortable and I just wanted to finish my grocery shopping and not fight the Thanksgiving crowds but the crowds didn't even care. 

"A million," I told him with no smile on my face, maybe even a scowl. You have to read your audience, weird checkout guy.

Also, as the cashier scanned bag after frozen bag, we were soon surrounded by individual red cranberries littering the conveyor belt and the counter and the floor. One or more of the bags almost certainly had a hole. We looked through each and could not find where any of the stray berries had come from. I still purchased them all. Months later, I wonder Where did those cranberries come from? every time I open a pristine new bag.

Okay, on to the recipe.

Oatmeal with Quinoa
(AKA Super Oatmeal)

Whenever I make this, I add all of the following ingredients. However, if you are missing some, you can still make this recipe and just omit the things you don't have.

Except the oats. Do not omit the oats.

(Kinda feel like that should go without saying.)

ADD THESE FIRST:

See how we're at the top of the list? The ingredients are listed from largest quantity to smallest quantity.

• Oats (I prefer regular to instant)
• Quinoa
• Wheat Berries
• Raisins and/or Dried Cranberries
• Ground Flax Seed
• Oat Bran
• Maple Syrup (cheapskate that I am, I use the fake, calorie-free kind from the dollar store)
• Your Favorite Fruit Butter, Jam, or Jelly (well, maybe not one of those hot pepper jellies)
• Spices, such as Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, and Allspice 

Ah, you've made it to the end of the list. These down here should be your smallest quantities.

THEN ADD DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF THIS:

• Liquid, such as Water, Milk, Almond Milk, or Soy Milk

If the ingredients from above are at the 1L line on your Instant Pot, you need to add liquid until you are at the 2L line. Generally, your Instant Pot recipe isn't going to be successful if it contains only milk and no water, but it is not a problem with this ratio.

STIR.

SEAL THE INSTANT POT LID AND PRESS THE PORRIDGE BUTTON.

Manual 15 minutes is basically the same thing. Instant Pots have a zillion buttons and settings, but the Manual one renders them all obsolete. It's sort of a scam, Instant Pot, but I forgive you because you are awesome.

THROW THIS IN AFTER COOKING:

• An Excessive Amount of Frozen Cranberries (so delicious!)

No amounts? No quantities? That's right. This recipe is so foolproof, I'm leaving that to your discretion. Just keep in mind that I listed the ingredients in the first section by amount from greatest to least. After cooking, if the oatmeal is too thick for your preference, feel free to add more liquid.

A note for all you crazy people who can't make a recipe without modifying it. You know, people like me:

It's tempting to add chia seeds. They'll make this Super Oatmeal even more healthy, right? Well, I've made that mistake again and again, each time wanting to make the healthiest batch of oatmeal ever. The chia seeds are taking it too far though. They give this a gummy, bland taste. Don't do it. 

Here are a few terrific mix-ins for your Oatmeal with Quinoa:

• Brown or Black Rice
• Applesauce
• Diced Apples
• Blueberries
• Shredded Coconut
• Chopped Nuts
• Frozen Cranberries - Before Cooking (You don't have to wait until the end to stir these in, but note that it will take your Instant Pot forever to pressurize if you throw in an entire bag of what is basically balls of ice before cooking.)

Enjoy, then check out 36 Foolproof Instant Pot Recipes.