Mmmm...Oatmeal

I am a Crock-Pot novice. I received a lovely Crock-Pot as a gift a couple of years ago, and I think I used it once when we lived in Texas. However, it did not make the move to New York with us. So, after 6 years of sitting in a box, it has finally emerged...and mostly sits in a cabinet. I will occasionally pull it out, study it a little quizzically, and then shrug and put it back in the cabinet. I simply don't know what to so with it.

I heard a rumor about the ease of cooking oatmeal in a Crock-Pot. And frankly the idea of going to bed and waking up to a warm, steaming pot of cinnamon-y, brown sugar-y oatmeal sounded blissful. So I Googled it, and found a great blog with a simple recipe for Crock-Pot oatmeal. We tried it last weekend, and it is awesome. Simple, hearty, and delicious. If you like oatmeal, give it a shot!

I actually read the recipe wrong, and made the whole thing with 4 cups of milk, instead of 4 cups of water and a 1/2 cup of milk or half & half. It turned out great anyway, creamy and delicious. So you could always play around with the amount of liquid based on the consistency you like, and the ratio of milk to water, depending on the creaminess you like.

All credit goes to www.mommyskitchen.net

Overnight Crock Pot Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats (this won't work with regular oats or quick cooking oats - too mushy)
4 cups water (if using a slow cooker liner decrease the water to 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup half and half or milk
1 cup dried fruit of choice
(apples, raisins, cranberries, apricots etc)
or 1 - fresh apple (chopped)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 - tbsp butter
1/2 - tsp vanilla extract
2-3 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar

First off find a bowl that will hold four cups of liquid, and fit inside your crock pot with the lid on. Measure out one cup of Steele cut oats. Pour that into the inner bowl. Add the four cups of water, milk or half and half, brown sugar, vanilla, butter and cinnamon sugar. If you would like to add dried fruit or a cut up apple the add it as well. Fill the crock with water to about halfway. Set the inner bowl in the crock and see how high the water rises. Add more water in the crock if necessary. Try to match it so that the water reaches about the same height on the outside of the oats bowl or just below the bowl. Place the lid on your crock pot. Set on low and go to bed. When you get up the next morning your oatmeal should be cooked perfectly in that steamy water bath.