Five-Grain Cereal with Apricots, Apples, and Bananas

A bowl of this cereal is the perfect start to a cold morning. You'll be buying just about every kind of breakfast-cereal grain possible at the super market, so leftovers will make for more mornings of hot cereal down the line!

In a large bowl, combine: 1/3 cup ground flaxseed, 1 and 1/4 cups steel-cut oats, 2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots, 2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apple, 2/3 cup dried banana chips, 1/2 cup cracked wheat, 1/2 cup regular corn grits, 1/2 cup oat bran, 1/3 cup wheat bran, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Note: if you have whole flaxseed at home, just grind it in a coffee or spice grinder before adding to the mix.

From here you have two options. If you are feeding a large crowd - think ski weekend brunch! - then make the cereal all at once: bring 13 and 1/2 cups water to a boil, then add the cereal, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for a final 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

From there you'll have 9 servings of 1 and 1/2 cups and 280 calories each.

If you want to prepare this in individual batches, freeze 1/2 cup portions of dry cereal separately in zip-top bags. In the morning, use 1 and 1/2 cups of water per 1/2 cup dry cereal, and cook according to directions above. Either way, the cereal is best served immediately, so don't try to cook a portion and then save it for tomorrow.

Cost:
flaxseed $5.99
steel-cut oats $4.19
dried apple $3.99
dried banana chips $0.26
regular grits $5.99
oat bran $0.40
wheat bran $2.99