Slow cooker oatmeal.

Did you ever think of making your breakfast before going to bed ?  No?  Me, either.  But then I got this idea from something I read.   So simple, really,  why haven’t I thought of this before now?

The whole idea is to use your crock pot or slow cooker to cook breakfast overnight and when you get up in the morning, instead of starting then to cook cereal, voila, there it is hot and waiting for you.

Hot and waiting for you in the morning.

On the weekends I often will cook steel-cut oats for hot  oatmeal which we both love, but it usually takes about 20 minutes of cooking time.  So of course, I never make it on weekdays.  But with starting it in the crockpot the night before, we can now have oatmeal anytime we want.  And the recipe makes about 6 servings, so once made, I refrigerate the extra, and can warm up just one serving in the microwave very easily whenever I want.   I am so proud of myself for coming up with this.  When I told my daughter about it she said, “yeah, I know,  I’ve done that before.”   Duh!  Where have I been?

In case there’s anyone else out there who has never done this,  here’s all you do:

1.  Peel and slice 2 apples and  put in the bottom of a crockpot,   sprinkle  1/3 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon over the apples.  If you are not fond of apples in oatmeal use raisins, or just leave out the fruit completely.

Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and oatmeal. What’s not to like.

2.  Pour 2 cups regular or steel-cut oats on top,  then add 4 cups water.   Do not stir!   Cook overnight  8 – 9 hours on low.

Layer it all in the crock pot, set it to low, and forget it.

3.   Before serving give the pot a stir to mix it all up and enjoy with milk or cream poured over the top.   YUM!

A hot breakfast waiting for you.