Swiss Muesli is one of my all time favorite breakfasts and one my family requests regularly!  Recently, I picked up my daughter from college and she asked if I would make her muesli because she had been craving it! I love that she appreciates my cooking!

It was on a family vacation to Banff, Canada that I discovered Swiss muesli.  At the time, my husband was in his “Swiss” phase of life.  He had just returned home from an extended business trip to Switzerland and was undergoing a bit of an identity crisis.  Ok, I’ll just say it – he thought he was Swiss.  All he talked about was staying in his flat… eating cheese and bread…. drinking wine each night…. eating raclette…. Yeah – well, while you were gone I was eating macaroni and cheese with the kids and I have no idea what raclette is?

Luckily, this crisis of his wasn’t overly concerning.  He was still speaking English and if anything, I felt bad.  If I found his “Swissness” annoying think of what it must have been like for the Swiss! I knew in a week his selfhood would be restored and the benefit of his crisis was that he did introduce me to a wonderful dish called Muesli!

The muesli I was served that day in Banff was cool, sweet and satisfying.  The creamy milk soaked oatmeal was mixed with fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts and had just a touch of sweetness.  It was hearty, with a wonderful texture and very filling.  After scraping every bit of it out of my bowl, I asked the server how the muesli was prepared.  She eagerly explained to me the effortless process of soaking the oatmeal in milk/cream, sweetening with maple syrup and adding whatever fruits and nuts you desired.  The muesli they served that day had freshly cut apples, raisins and nuts.  It was wonderful.

Below you will find my recipe.  It’s not much of a recipe, because you make it however you want.  Read on and you will see what I mean! The muesli I was served in the restaurant was prepared with rolled oats.  I have used quick cook or old fashioned, depending on what I have in the cupboard and the amount of time I have to allow the oatmeal to soak. Yes – you guessed it – quick cook oatmeal softens faster!

On the mornings I wish to make muesli, I deposit a cup of oatmeal in a medium sized bowl and cover with milk.  I then place it in the refrigerator to soak for 30-60 minutes.  This gives me plenty of time to make myself presentable and allows the oatmeal to soften and cool.  After the soaking time, add additional milk, some cream (it’s worth the calories – just a little bit provides a creaminess that makes everything better), and whatever fruits and nuts you like.

 Basic Muesli Recipe:

Cover 1 cup of rolled oats with milk and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to soften. Once softened add: Milk or cream to thin. Maple syrup or honey to sweeten Chopped nuts Dried fruit Shredded coconut Cut up apples, bananas, berries…. The sky is the limit – add whatever combination you would like. My favorite is:  cut up apples, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, shredded coconut, maple syrup, milk and a little cream.

Muesli using Steel Cut Oatmeal

A little more time, but well worth it! Recently I read an article about the merits of steel cut oatmeal at eatdrinkbemellow.com.  After reading it I thought, what the heck, let’s try it in Muesli! The muesli with steel cut oats was absolutely fabulous and well worth the extra time!  It’s definitely my new favorite!

Preparing the Oats – Over medium high heat melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan and add 1 cup of steel cut oats.  Toast the oatmeal for a few minutes then add two cups of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes to soften.  Transfer the oatmeal to a medium sized bowl and refrigerate.  You may notice the oatmeal is almost dry.  I make it that way because I want it to retain it’s nuttiness and because there will be plenty of liquid added later on with the milk, cream, and sweetener.  Once it is chilled, we are ready to make Muesli.  Usually, I will prepare the steel cut oatmeal the night before so it’s ready to go first thing in the morning. Now the fun part – add any of the above ingredients to personalize it to your tastes!

Enjoy!

Want to know where Muesli began? – Wikipedia/muesli