Vegetarian Recipes

Overnight Oats, Many Ways

https://www.loveandlemons.com/overnight-oats-many-ways/

I love overnight oats – they’re an easy, healthy, dairy-free, grab-able breakfast, but I have a tendency to get into an oat rut, reaching for the same ‘ol toppings every time. If you feel the same way, here are 4 ideas that will hopefully add some inspiration to your breakfast routine!

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are the perfect breakfast if you love eating oatmeal in the morning but don’t have time to cook before you head out the door. My base recipe consists of whole rolled oats that soak in almond milk overnight with a dash of maple syrup. In the morning, the oats are soft and easy to digest, and the mixture has a thick, porridge-like consistency that’s satisfying to eat. I like to change up my oats by using coconut milk instead of almond milk or adding cinnamon, turmeric, or vanilla to the oat mixture before it soaks overnight. And of course, choosing different toppings is a fun and easy way to vary your overnight oats.

How do I make overnight oats?

If you’re new to overnight oats, making them is easy! Here’s how:

On the night before you plan to enjoy your oats, stir together 1/2 cup whole rolled oats, 1/2 cup plant-based milk, 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup, and a dash of salt.
Refrigerate the mixture overnight in an airtight container.
In the morning your oats will be ready to eat! Transfer them to a bowl before topping and devouring them, or top and take them on the go.

These are the toppings I started with to create these 4 overnight oats combinations – how pretty are all of these healthy ingredients!

Tips for overnight oat success

If you’re taking your breakfast on the go, a Mason jar is a great choice of container for your overnight oat base. The lid seals tightly, and the jar isn’t too big or bulky. Plus, the jar’s narrow shape keeps most of the toppings separate from the oats until you’re ready to eat.
I like to refrigerate my oat base without toppings and then top it in the morning. That way, dried fruit stays chewy, and nuts and seeds are crunchy, not gummy.
If you like doing weekly meal prep, make a big batch of overnight oats over the weekend. Store individual servings in Mason jars and top them differently each day!
Have fun! I hope you love these 4 recipes, but experiment with different in-season fresh fruit, dried fruit, nut butters, spices, etc.

And now, to the recipes…

Overnight Oats - Cherry Berry with Chia and Yogurt

Cherry Berry with Chia & Yogurt Oats

A classic antioxidant-filled combo. Since it’s wintertime, I used frozen fruit (tart cherries and blueberries) in my bowls. Top them with Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Overnight Oats - Coconut Turmeric with currants, mango, and hemp seeds

Coconut Turmeric Oats

An unexpected breakfast bowl filled with anti-inflammatory spices. I stirred turmeric, cinnamon, and coconut milk into the base of the oat bowl and topped it with mango, dried currants, hemp seeds, and coconut flakes.

Overnight Oats - Sweet Sesame Tahini with apricots, pistachios, and pomegranates

Sweet Sesame Tahini Oats

I love tahini so much that now I’m eating it for breakfast! This bowl looks so pretty, and it couldn’t be more simple to put together. Just drizzle tahini on top of the oats and top with pistachios, dried apricots, pomegranates, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of honey (or maple syrup, if you’re vegan).

Overnight Oats - Chocolate Chip Cookie with almond butter

Chocolate Chip Cookie Oats

If you’re trying to get your kids (or husband) to eat oats, this one is for you :). Who can resist that big swirl of almond butter with chocolate chips? I flavor this base recipe with a dash of vanilla extract for extra cookie flavor.

Want more make-ahead breakfast ideas? Try these cookies, these muffins, or these little frittatas.

Overnight Oats, Many Ways

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Breakfast

½ cup whole rolled oats
½ cup almond milk or light coconut milk
½ teaspoon maple syrup
pinch of sea salt

make base recipe using light coconut milk, ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
toppings: hemp seeds, diced mango, currants, coconut flakes, honey drizzle

make base recipe with coconut or almond milk
toppings: scoop of yogurt or coconut yogurt, berries, chia seeds, maple drizzle

make base recipe with coconut or almond milk
toppings: tahini, pistachios, pomegranates, dried apricots, honey drizzle, sesame seeds

make base recipe with almond milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla
toppings: almond butter, chocolate chips, chopped almonds

In a small jar, combine the oats, almond or coconut milk, maple syrup, and salt. Stir and chill overnight.
In the morning, scoop the oats into a bowl, stir in more almond or coconut milk, if desired, for consistency. Top with desired toppings.
Alternatively, for a grab-and-go breakfast, you can assemble the overnight oats in jars with the toppings the night before.

Make these vegan by using maple syrup in place of the honey.

3.4.3177

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.