Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients:
-3/4 C Oats
-1 C Milk
-1/4 C Chobani Plain 2% Greek Yogurt
-1/4 C Chunky Applesauce (I like Meijer)
-1/2 TB Chia seeds
-1/2 TB Cinnamon/Sugar Mix
-2 Shakes ginger
-Texture Toppings: Dried fruit, pecans, pie crust pieces, caramel bits or toffee, etc.

So this is pretty simple, you just toss it all in a mason jar, give it a good stir, and let it do its thing overnight in the fridge. This for me filled a pint mason jar mostly full.

Now, I am a human and therefore I make mistakes.  There are two possible mistakes in this adventure of mine.  First, I tried to add caramel to mine originally (a heaping teaspoon, and I mean very heaping) and I just could not taste it at all.  The mistake is maybe not so much in the idea but more in the product.  Smuckers caramel topping just doesn't have a lot of flavor in my opinion...should have got the Hershey's.

But the real mistake on my part was not adding in something for texture.  The texture of this stuff is actually not that far from normal oatmeal, and the chia seeds add a lot of nutrients but disappear texturally after the overnight soak. However, I was never overly fond of the oatmeal texture and always used to add dried fruits and nuts.

You definitely should consider doing that with this.  It just needs something to vary the severe monotony of texture.  If I could put anything I wanted in, it would be German Roasted Pecans.  However, with what was available in my fridge I should have at least put dried berry blend in it.

You could dice up an apple and put in it, or get really fancy and make some pie crust ahead of time and crumble it in.  ANYTHING to add a little variety to this will be a step in the right direction.

Don't want to make pie crust? Consider a cinnamon apple Belvita.  Consider graham crackers.  CONSIDER SOMETHING! Cannot stress the need for crunchy enough here.

This actually filled me up really quick and I was not able to eat the whole thing, so about 1/3 of it is back in my fridge.  Once I get some texturally inspired additions, I actually could see this being something I make regularly, as it would be a quality snack or an I-Overslept-Oh-No-Breakfast-On-The-Run type of deal. 

And I think you are completely insane if you don't buy chunky applesauce.  It is delicious (not so much on Kroger's kind, I like the store but the apples in their chunky applesauce are still too crunchy and undercooked tasting).  Pin It Now!