Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

I love hot oatmeal for breakfast. Until I found this recipe, I had been using the more common version of quick oats in the microwave. It was quick and gave me what I needed for that meal. While I knew it was better for me than some breakfast cereals, I also knew that a less processed version of oatmeal would be even better. It seems that the steel cut oats are much better. Because they have not been processed, they have more nutrients and also take longer to digest, meaning that a bowl should keep you pretty satisfied all morning without having to snack before lunch. However, unlike the immediate convenience of the quick oats, this requires advance planning and preparation. The good news is that the advance preparation gives you many servings and so it actually is easier for the rest of the week. You can find a number of recipes on line for slow cooker steel cut oats. I looked at a few to help me put together the recipe below. I was particularly interested in using a recipe that asked for apples as my freezer is full of sliced apples from a very abundant harvest from our two Cortland apples trees this past fall.

This recipe makes 5 one cup servings,

Ingredients
• 2 apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 to 3 cups)
• 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine (adds to the texture)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

You can also add other ingredients before cooking, such as 2 teaspoons ground flax seed, bran or try experimenting with other ingredients

Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk.

Directions
Very lightly coat inside your slow cooker with cooking spray or other ingredient to keep it from sticking (I take a little bit of margarine on a piece of wax paper to coat the inside). Add all ingredients, except for the optional topping to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours. It comes out pretty thick. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Because this recipe makes 5 cups, it is enough for the week. I store the leftover in the refrigerator and and reheat about a 3/4 cup at a time in the microwave and add some milk and topping before eating. It also freezes well.

If you want to double the recipe, use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.