Overnight Oatmeal

This crock pot recipe is without a doubt the simplest one I have ever made. 

I have been craving oatmeal the past couple of weeks and although the oatmeal they sell at the cafeteria at work is good, there is really no point to buying it when you can make it at home for way less. I did try Kashi's maple brown sugar oatmeal for a week, and although it has less sugar then Quaker oatmeal, it just was too sweet for me. And the flavor was a little off. Strange, knowing how much I LOVE maple. I have been eying steel-cut oats in the grocery store for awhile now and this week I finally was bold and bought them. After a little research online, I was able to create my own super simple version. A lot of them had milk, lots of sugar or other added things I just didn't want in mine. This one is simple, plain oaty oat oats. It makes a whopping 8, 1 cup servings for about 180 calories each. After topping with a couple tablespoons of raisins and a dash of cinnamon, you have a warm and hearty breakfast to keep you going strong all morning.

Steel-cut oats have a slightly different texture then regular oats. They are creamy yet still chewy. If you haven’t tried steel cut oats before, here is a little background information. Steel cut oats are unrefined whole grain oats that have been dried and cut into two to three pieces by steel, rather than being rolled. They are rich in B-vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber. They take a little longer to cook then regular oats, but are well worth the wait. Even better, you don't have to stir the oats or keep an eye on them if you do them in the crock pot. Throw in oats, water, pinch of salt and that is it. When you wake up the morning you will have a warm and creamy oatmeal waiting for you. 

two main ingredients

adding the water to the oats

dash of cinnamon and salt added. only 8 hours until breakfast!

lots of leftovers and today's breakfast!

Overnight Oatmeal

2 cups steel-cut oats

8 cups water

Dash of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

Add all of the ingredients to the crock pot, stir to combine and place lid on top. Cook for 8 hours on low.

I think this might be the easiest recipe yet! You can eat it plain, add a drizzle of honey and nuts or fruit on top. I bet even a swirl of jam would be great in here too. Can't wait to make this again and curl up to a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter day.