Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Oatmeal in the Crockpot

There are many health benefits of oatmeal: It's full of fiber, reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), has lots of protein, and may help prevent heart disease.

The problem with some crockpot oatmeal recipes is they don't use enough liquid. So by the time you wake up in the morning, the oatmeal is crusty and stuck to your slow cooker. This crockpot oatmeal turns out just the way oatmeal was intended to taste and can cook 8 to 9 hours without sticking.

Important: You must use steel cut oatmeal, such as McCann's Irish Oatmeal, not rolled oats or instant oats. Otherwise, your oatmeal will cook too fast and end up sticking to the crockpot.
Crockpot Oatmeal Recipe

  * 2 cups steel cut oats (not instant or rolled oats)
  * 6-8 cups water, depending on how long the oatmeal will cook
  * 1 tsp. cinnamon
  * 1/2 cup brown sugar
  * 1 tsp. vanilla
  * 2 apples, peeled and diced
  * 1 cup raisins
  * 1 cup sliced bananas
  * 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. If you're planning to cook the oatmeal 8 hours or longer, use 8 cups of water. If you want to cook it less than 8 hours, use 6 cups of water. Put first seven ingredients (through raisins) in slow cooker and cook on low. Just before serving, Stir in bananas and walnuts. Sprinkle with additional brown sugar if desired.

source: Stephanie Gallagher

Variation:

Ingredients:

    * 1 cup steel cut oats
    * 1 cup dried cranberries
    * 1 cup dates, chopped
    * 4 cups water
    * 1/2 cup half and half
    * 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation:
Spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients except half and half and honey in the slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. Stir in half and half and honey, and serve.

If you like more texture in your oatmeal, you can toast the oats before cooking. Place them in a shallow layer on a cookie sheet and toast them at 350 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, stirring once during cooking time, until oats are a darker gold color. Let cool completely before you combine with the rest of the ingredients in the recipe.

Stir well before serving. 4 servings

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