Best EVER Crockpot Oatmeal!

One of our daughters, Kristen, recently told me about making oatmeal in the crock pot.  I remember years ago when I had done the same thing, but it did not turn out very well!  Kristen said that everyone had enjoyed it ;however Kinzie and Brandon our grandchildren, didn't really care for the fresh apple she had added before cooking.  Several weeks past before I decided to try making crock pot oatmeal again.  The night I needed the recipe, Kristen was busy so I started looking for a recipe on the net that sounded like the one she had told me about over the phone.  It was cooked in a water bath and it used steel-cut oats, both of which I had not used years ago! As I read the different recipes, the moms kept telling that their children were not wild about the cooked apples. So I wondered about using applesauce instead, and not cooking it with the oatmeal.  That is what I did this morning and everyone loved it!!!!!!  I think the key is not cooking the fruit with the oatmeal.  Remember that if you microwave the fruits your with lessen the nutritional value of the fruit.  Heating the fruit in the oven and then putting it in the cereal bowl before you put the oatmeal in make a very pretty dish.

Best EVER Crock Pot Oatmeal

1 heaping cup steel cut oats

4 cups water

1/2 cup milk ( you may use any type from cream to skim - cow's to coconut)

If you find your family likes cooked fruit add:

   1cup fruit, dried or fresh (bananas, apricots, raisins, apples, cranberries)

   or use 1 cup fresh fruit

1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar  (My family likes the 1/3 cup much better)

3 teaspoons vanilla  (any flavoring your family like is fine and you could us less vanilla- to taste)

2 Tablespoons cinnamon  ( I actually use 3 Tbsp., but my family LOVES cinnamon)

2-3 Tablespoons butter (again to taste)

You will need a bowl large enough to hold the above ingredients ,yet small enough to fit into your crock pot.  Make sure that the lid of your crock pot fit snugly, you don't want any steam to escape!

Grease the bowl well (makes cleaning up so much easier) and add oat, water, milk, fruit (if you add any), brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and butter.  Put the bowl into your crock pot.  Then CAREFULLY add very warm water to  your crock pot with your tea kettle.  I try to have the water about the same level as the oatmeal mixture is inside the bowl.  Place the lid on the crock pot, set on LOW and have "sweet dreams of yummy warm oatmeal" in the morning.  The oatmeal is so creamy from having been cooked in a steaming water bath all night long.

I tried the fresh apple the first time and it was ok.  I agreed with Kenzie and Brandon.  Then I heated fresh frozen blueberries, put them in the bottom of the cereal bowl and served the creamy oatmeal on top.  Each person stir the berries in and add milk  if they wished.  Warming the milk helps keep the oatmeal nice and warm. Everyone loved it.  And this morning warm home canned applesauce and the oatmeal was an INSTANT HIT.  Other additions I plan to try in the future are dates and walnuts, raisins (be sure to pump them in water or a fruit juice), dried fruits and possible for a fun Saturday morning chocolate candy broken in pieces that will melt quickly.  The sky is the limit have fun!!!

Check out all the other great posts for "Feasting in Fellowship Fridays" for new ideas! 

                               Have A Great Week!   Jean