Abstract: The invention comprises a process for preparing oatmeal, which process comprises soaking steel cut oats and oat bran for a period of time sufficient to hydrate the oats, mixing rolled oats into the hydrated oat fraction, cooking the resultant mixture for a period of time sufficient to produce a flavorful food product, and optionally aseptically packaging the resulting product. The invention also comprises a process for preparing an oatmeal composition, which process comprises cooking steel cut oats in a manner so that the material is hydrated, adding rolled oats after a cooking time such that cooking of steel cut oats is substantially complete, adding optionally hydrated oat bran either before or after addition of the rolled oats, cooking the entire mixture for a time sufficient to render the product edible and packaging the product.