Steel Cut Oats (from the Crock Pot) to Start the Day

CROCK POT OATMEAL - AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!

A love of oatmeal and my family's rapidly declining interest in microwaved old fashioned oats led me to the internet to see how other people fancied up their oats.  I found a few good ideas and have since altered them to our particular tastes.  One of my favorite ideas is steel cut oats made overnight in the crock pot.

Crock pot oats appeal to me for many reasons:
#1 I don't have to cook in the morning.
#2 Warm, hearty breakfast keeps us full longer and makes the day more enjoyable.
#3 Waking up to the smell of breakfast wafting from the kitchen is just as delightful as falling asleep with the aroma of fresh baked bread cooling on the counter top (more on homemade bread later).

The following recipe is how I make oatmeal for the four of us.  It's good as-is but we also like to top it with walnuts, jelly, yogurt or raisins in our bowls.  Sometimes when I know we will be adding something sweet to it in the morning I leave out the honey.  Like most recipes, it's a matter of personal preference.  Crock pot oatmeal is very versatile, I hope you try it, like it and find your own favorite flavor combination.   

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups almond milk (or other milk)
1.5 cups water
2 Tablespoons chia seeds or flax meal
2 Tablespoons honey or other sweetener
oil to coat crock pot

optional add ins:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pieces of fresh fruit (apples, bananas, peaches) or 1/4 -1/2 cup dried fruit or 1 cup frozen fruit

Method:

-Oil the crock pot.  Honestly, I don't know what it's like if you don't.  Everywhere else on the internet implied that if you skip this step you will be scrubbing and crying.  With the crock oiled it does stick to the sides.  Once it cools down it scrapes away more easily (if you want to get every last bit out - and that's the good crunchy part, so go for it).  I soak it for a bit in the sink and it comes right off.  I don't know if it would do the same if you didn't oil the crock.
-Add all ingredients, stir and set the crock pot to low for 7-8 hours.
-It keeps in the refrigerator and reheats nicely.  We had leftovers once, and they didn't last beyond the next day but were still good then.  I added a little more milk when reheating to hydrate the oatmeal.

Cooked oatmeal in the morning, before stirring, with a crunchy ring around the outside.

The oatmeal after stirring.  This batch was made with dried peaches, vanilla and cinnamon added to the main recipe.