Easy Overnight Oatmeal in the Slow Cooker
Overnight Oatmeal
Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking.
READER'S COMMENT:
"Easy and delicious! I would award 5 stars except for the fact that the dried fruits lost their flavor during the overnight cooking. Hereafter for better flavor, I'll add fresh or hydrated dried fruits when I serve the oatmeal in the...
Lena's note: Raisins work very well, but I recommend adding fruits and flavorings just before serving. Steel cut oats are better for you anyway. However, compared to the sugar bombs many moms are forced to serve in the name of effciency, this kind of breakfast wins hands down despite the high carbs.
8 servings, 1 cup each
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 to 8 hours (slow-cooker time) - 1 hour 35 minutes (stovetop time)
Nutrition Profile
Ingredients
8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats, (see Ingredient note)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Preparation
Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Put the lid on and cook until the oats are tender and the porridge is creamy, 7 to 8 hours.
Stovetop Variation
Halve the above recipe to accommodate the size of most double boilers: Combine 4 cups water, 1 cup steel-cut oats, 3 tablespoons dried cranberries, 3 tablespoons dried apricots and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the top of a double boiler. Cover and cook over boiling water for about 1 1/2 hours, checking the water level in the bottom of the double boiler from time to time.
Tips & Notes
Ingredient Note: Steel-cut oats, sometimes labeled "Irish oatmeal," look like small pebbles. They are toasted oat groats—the oat kernel that has been removed from the husk that have been cut in 2 or 3 pieces. Do not substitute regular rolled oats, which have a shorter cooking time, in the slow-cooker oatmeal recipe.
Nutrition
Per serving: 193 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 9 g fiber; 77 mg sodium; 195 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (36% daily value).
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fruit
You Might Also Like
Overnight Muesli
Overnight Strawberry Vinegar
Overnight French Toast with Cinnamon Syrup
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking.
READER'S COMMENT:
"Easy and delicious! I would award 5 stars except for the fact that the dried fruits lost their flavor during the overnight cooking. Hereafter for better flavor, I'll add fresh or hydrated dried fruits when I serve the oatmeal in the...
Lena's note: Raisins work very well, but I recommend adding fruits and flavorings just before serving. Steel cut oats are better for you anyway. However, compared to the sugar bombs many moms are forced to serve in the name of effciency, this kind of breakfast wins hands down despite the high carbs.
8 servings, 1 cup each
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 to 8 hours (slow-cooker time) - 1 hour 35 minutes (stovetop time)
Nutrition Profile
Ingredients
8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats, (see Ingredient note)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Preparation
Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Put the lid on and cook until the oats are tender and the porridge is creamy, 7 to 8 hours.
Stovetop Variation
Halve the above recipe to accommodate the size of most double boilers: Combine 4 cups water, 1 cup steel-cut oats, 3 tablespoons dried cranberries, 3 tablespoons dried apricots and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the top of a double boiler. Cover and cook over boiling water for about 1 1/2 hours, checking the water level in the bottom of the double boiler from time to time.
Tips & Notes
Ingredient Note: Steel-cut oats, sometimes labeled "Irish oatmeal," look like small pebbles. They are toasted oat groats—the oat kernel that has been removed from the husk that have been cut in 2 or 3 pieces. Do not substitute regular rolled oats, which have a shorter cooking time, in the slow-cooker oatmeal recipe.
Nutrition
Per serving: 193 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 9 g fiber; 77 mg sodium; 195 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (36% daily value).
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fruit
You Might Also Like
Overnight Muesli
Overnight Strawberry Vinegar
Overnight French Toast with Cinnamon Syrup
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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