Overnight Oatmeal

Not being a morning person, we don't have many hot breakfasts around our house. However, our mornings have been revolutionized by something very simple ... hot oatmeal. Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook has an entire section on hot cereals that are cooked overnight.

The cereal recipes usually stipulate a small slow cooker and this was my excuse to indulge in an appliance I'd been longing for ever since reading about keeping using it to keep queso dip warm. I couldn't justify that for a rarely indulged in appetizer ... but to make a hot breakfast for my family? Yep. I geared up and got busy. And it was good. It was very good.

Ironically, I wound up doubling the recipes and using my regular medium slow cooker. If you have a family of hearty breakfasters I would advise doing the same.

We've tried both the steel-cut and regular oatmeal and both work extremely well. Next up will be grits ...

Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Serves: 2
Cooker: Small round
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 8 to 9 hours

1 cup steel-cut oats
4 cups water

Combine the oats and water in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or overnight, until tender.

Still oatmeal well and scoop into bowls with an oversized spoon.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal
Serves: 4
Cooker: Small or medium round
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats or thick-cut rolled oats
4-3/4 cups water
Pinch of salt

Combine oats, water, and aslat in the slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or overnight, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.

Stir oatmeal well and scoop into bowls with an oversized spoon.