Roast Pears Now, Enjoy Amazing Oatmeal Later

Every winter weekend, I have a little ritual.

I count the days until super ripe and juicy pears show up at my favorite local market.

I fire up my oven, I roast a batch, then I puree them and fill and freeze two ice cube trays full so I can stir this treat into my morning oatmeal all week. It's dead simple and will take you maybe 15 minutes of prep for 5 to 7 days of simple happiness. Are you ready?

Step 1: Slice and core your pears (and, preheat the oven to 350 degrees)

#Protip: How do you know when pears are ripe? I gently tap near the stem. If it gives just a bit and has a slightly sweet fragrance, it's ready to enjoy. I typically slice them into halves, core, then slice into quarters. I've found that four good-sized pears generally fills two ice cube trays, which is enough for two people to enjoy in their oatmeal for a week.

Step 2: Arrange your pears on a baking sheet

Isn't this fun? #Protip: The smaller the pieces, the quicker they will cook.

Note: They're done when you can easily cut them with the side of a fork or spoon (about half an hour for quarters)

Step 3: Puree with a masher, blender, or hand blender

Step 4: Pour into ice cube trays

[Photos by Karen Gaudette]

Now, to the eating! I typically make a batch of steel-cut oats on Sunday and portion into smaller containers to take to work each morning. I pop a cube or two of pears, add a pat of butter, and add a swirl of maple syrup. Yum.

Reheat, stir, and enjoy.