I love breakfast. And there is just something about waking up to a hot breakfast (that you don’t have to cook)! Enter Slow Cooker Irish Oats, made with steel-cut oats.
Slow Cooker Irish Oatmeal
Slow cooking is a great way to cook steel-cut oats. This type of oat is less processed than the old-fashioned or quick-cooking oatmeal you might be used to, and they need to cook a lot longer. (Sort of like the difference between white rice and brown rice.) Using a slow cooker means you can have steel-cut oatmeal ready as soon as you get up, instead of having to cook it for an hour!
Add 1 cup of raisins, or your favorite dried fruit. (If you’re using something bigger, like cherries, you’ll want to give them a rough chop first.) Feel free to use those old raisins from the back of your pantry. Even if they start off a bit dry and hard, they’ll soften right up after an overnight soak!
We had this for breakfast on January 1. I mixed everything up before we went out on New Year’s Eve and stuck it in the refrigerator. When we got home I popped the crock in the slow cooker and turned it on. (I could even manage this after a few beers!)
The next morning, the oatmeal won’t look very beautiful… The half-and-half will give everything a light brown color after being cooked all night long, and the top might look a little dry. Just give it a good stir, and you’re in business.
Top with whatever you like. I used brown sugar, slivered almonds, and pecans. Pick your favorites!
This recipe is adapted from “Slow Cooking All Year Round” by Gooseberry Patch.
Enjoy!
Slow-Cooker Irish Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Irish steel-cut oats uncooked
- 1 cup dried fruit chopped
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- Garnish - cinnamon butter, brown sugar, walnuts, etc
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except garnishes in slow cooker
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
- Garnish as desired.
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I haven’t tried slow cooker oats yet… gonna have to give it a whirl.
You will love it! I forget and don’t make them enough… Going to have to get back in the habit for this cold winter!
Seriously, where do you find steel cut oats? I’m going to have to go to the big town, WL, to find them.
Check the organic section of your grocery store. They usually come in a plastic bag, about 1 pound. I can find them in Princeton, so all hope is not lost!