Crock-Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Hello my lovely readers!!!!  It has been a few months since my last post, and I know that you were just DYING to get another recipe under your belt.  I had an extremely long day yesterday, and came home very exhausted from my day at work then spending hours in traffic commuting home from work/school, and still had to cook dinner for my munchkin.  After all was said and done, I was so close to calling it quits at about 8:30 that night.  BUT... as always, my mind had another agenda, and in popped the idea of preparing crockpot oatmeal for this morning's breakfast!  I did a search on bing for crockpot steel cut oatmeal recipes and came across one that I found very intriguing.  After modifying it a bit, I threw all of the ingredients together, and created an AMAZING breakfast with an aroma that anyone would want to wake up to!

My original plan was to take the oatmeal to-go - allowing my daughter to eat hers in the car, and I'd eat mine once I made it to work, but I just couldn't resist!  It smelled so darn Good!  So, we sat down for a mini family breakfast at 7am this morning, and I have to tell you - both my daughter and I were extremely pleased at how DELICIOUS it tasted!!  I have to be honest, I was actually a bit amazed that she found it so appetizing, seeing as how I added the chia seeds & it was my first time cooking with them.  And best of all - all I had to do this morning was throw it in a bowl & it was ready to eat!!  Quick & Easy - now that's my kind of weekday morning breakfast!  Now if I can only get my daughter to eat her food a little bit faster, then I think we'll really have something here! ;-)  Either way, I'll definitely be making variations of this dish for weeks to come!  Can't wait to try different fruits and toppings!  I'm salivating just thinking about all of the delicious possibilities! =)

Okay, enough with the introduction... I know you're just ITCHING to get your hands on this lovely recipe, so here you go!


Ingredients all mixed up & ready to cook!

Crock-Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal
Recipe adapted from The Yummy Life / Serves 6

Ingredients:

•   2 apples, peeled, cored, chopped into small chunks (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 3 TBSP raw honey (or you can sub 2 TBSP brown sugar or other sweetener)
• 1-1/2 TBSP butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional) *I used Smart Balance Light
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBSP ground chia seeds or flaxseeds (optional)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Spray inside of the pot with cooking spray - to avoid sticking of final product.
2. Add all ingredients into the pot and stir well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6.5 to 7 hours (time may vary depending upon your crockpot, so be cautious if you are cooking overnight - my crockpot automatically switches to warm when done - preventing overcooking of the oats.)
4. Top with additional almond milk, butter, and/or chopped nuts - if you so choose.
5. Enjoy!

 



Oatmeal cooking away!

Leftovers may be stored in the fridge - or freezer in individual 1-cup servings to help with the hussle and bustle of your busy weekday mornings!  To re-heat, simply add milk to 1-cup serving of oatmeal and place in the microwave on high until hot, stirring occasionally.  & Voila - instant pleasure!