Overnight crockpot breakfast

We love oatmeal on cool mornings and have fallen in love with steel cut oats in our slow cooker! It's perfect to throw it all in the crockpot on a Sunday evening and then wake up to an early Monday morning breakfast. A great way to start the day or the week! I can't imagine how wonderful it will be to wake up to on those really cold winter mornings. 

If you have never tried steel cut oats or have never looked for them in the store, let me give you a little info on them and what to look for.

They are a tad pricier than your everyday, run-of-the-mill oats, but not by much. I paid less than $4 for my 24 oz package at HEB in the health food/organic section. I purchased Bob's Red Mill brand. Another well-known brand is usually easily available are McCanns (many stores have it in the actual oatmeal section), but it's a little more expensive compared to Bob's. I've also seen steel cut oats in the bulk places like Whole Foods and health stores.

The difference between rolled and steel cut oats is that while both contain whole grain oats, they are processed differently. Rolled oats are steamed, rolled, steamed again and toasted. They end up as thin as flakes. Steel cut oats are made from oat kernels that have been chopped into thick pieces. Using steel cut oats produces a chewier, heartier texture that is somewhat nutty. And they hold up beautifully to the long process of overnight slow cooker cooking.

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats (do not sub for quick or rolled oats)

4 cups water 

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 TBS butter 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

  Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized ceramic bowl or bread loaf pan that fits inside your crockpot.

2. Place the ceramic bowl inside your crockpot. Add water in the crockpot until it reaches the middle of the ceramic bowl to create a 'water bath' for your oatmeal. This prevents the oatmeal from overcooking and sticking to the sides of the bowl.

3. Cook on low for 8hrs. Serve it with your favorite toppings!

*Topping Suggestions: Fresh fruit-strawberries, raspberries, bananas,  raisins, walnuts, chopped apples, honey, cinnamon

*Our family favorite oatmeal trick is to add cold applesauce (store bought or homemade) and or cold greek yogurt. This cools the oatmeal down quickly for hungry and impatient little ones, adds 1-2 servings of fruit and is delicious!