Swiss Bircher Muesli

How to make Bircher Muesli, the traditional oatmeal breakfast from Switzerland. It's a healthy make-ahead breakfast for holiday mornings.

In 2000, I was lucky enough to spend ten days hiking in Switzerland. We stayed in several small hotels, one in Zurich, others in the countryside. Each hotel served Bircher Muesli in their breakfast buffets. Each was slightly different, each one was so good that I skipped past the beautiful cheeses and breads for one more tasty bowlful of this oat-yogurt-fruit-spice-nut mixture! Once home, I learned how to make homemade Bircher Muesli, it's such a treat, a taste of the Alps and Heidi meadows, right at home.

From my collection of Christmas recipes, this recipe was first published in print in 2005 and is republished online in 2010.

On wintry holidays, mornings can start ever so slowly around here.

The first one up knows to start the coffee and fill the cats’ dishes. The dog does puppy cartwheels by the door when someone dons a coat and reaches for the leash.

The lazy ones gather in the sun-warmed family room, mugs in hand and legs tucked beneath still-PJ-clad bodies. My sister picks the morning’s music. My brother-in-law asks, “Are we ready for another pot?”

Slowly everyone emerges, sleepy and slow. “How was your sleep?” someone asks. “Good.”

It is good, these simple morning moments, these quiet exchanges, the stuff of family content far distant from the busy-ness and busi-ness the season somehow develops.

Swiss muesli (myoos-lee) is a do-it-yourself granola and the perfect breakfast accommodation for early- and late-risers and big- and light-eaters.

Just soak the oats and cider overnight. In the morning, stir in the apple, yogurt and honey. Then let everyone add whatever appeals, whatever appetite demands.

SWISS BIRCHER MUESLI

Hands-on time: 5 minutes the night before
Refrigerator time: Overnight
Then hands-on time: 10 minutes
Serves 1 – 10!

NIGHT BEFORE, PER SERVING
• 1/4 cup oatmeal (or oat bran or wheat germ)
• Apple cider to cover (apple cider is my favorite but milk, soymilk and orange juice work too)
• Squeeze of lemon juice (omit if using milk)

JUST BEFORE SERVING, PER SERVING
• 1/4 an apple, grated (or banana or orange sections)
• Greek yogurt (or plain or fruit yogurt)
• Splash honey (or maple syrup or brown sugar)

ON THE SIDE
• Toasted nuts: walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts
• Seeds: sesame, sunflower
• Dried fruit: currants, dates, figs, cranberries, sour cherries, apricots
• Spice: cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom

NIGHT BEFORE Soak the oats, apple cider and lemon juice overnight.

JUST BEFORE SERVING Stir in the apple, yogurt and honey, then add the nuts, seeds, dried fruit and spices as desired.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite recipe from your travels that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. "Like" Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

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