Slow Cooker Overnight Morning Glory Steel Cut Oatmeal

Yes, I'm posting yet another overnight oatmeal recipe. I can't help it. I'm addicted. Steel cut oats are truly one of my favorite breakfast ingredients. Making them in the slow cooker is a no-brainer for me. I get them going right before heading to bed and then we wake up to a hot, hearty breakfast. There's no fuss, no hassle and no work when I'm still half-asleep, but needing breakfast ready for the family around six in the morning. I just keep the oatmeal on warm and it's ready as everyone trickles in to grab a bowl before heading out for the day.

I based this version on the ingredients in my Morning Glory Muffins recipe. The muffins are a favorite of mine from my childhood. They are chocked full of apples, oats, dried fruit, nuts {if desired}, carrots, zucchini and lots of fabulous spices. They have so many great things going for them ...  lots of healthful ingredients and tons of flavor.

I strongly urge you to give steel cut oats in the slow cooker a try. Your life will never {ever} be the same. And, one of the great things about making oatmeal this way is that it can be reheated easily throughout the week on other busy mornings if you have leftovers.

NOTE: This may look like a long list of ingredients. However, most of them, I believe, are items many of us keep on hand.

Yields 3 - 4 hearty servings.


Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup flake coconut {I prefer unsweetened}
1 small apple, cored and cut into small dice
1/2 cup crushed canned pineapple, drained
1/2 cups walnuts or pecans {optional}, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger {optional, but so worth using}
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar {or sweetener of choice}
3 cups hot water
3/4 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup dried fruit {raisins, cherries, chopped dates or cranberries}

Directions:

Set a bread loaf pan {I use a metal one} down into the insert of a six-quart oval slow cooker. {It's fine if your loaf pan doesn't touch the bottom of the insert.} If it is wobbly, use a balled-up piece of foil underneath to help level the pan. Carefully add about 2 cups of hot water to the bottom of the slow cooker to create a water bath.

Add all of the ingredients except for the dried fruit into the bread loaf pan. Stir to combine and distribute everything evenly.

 

Lid and cook for either 8 - 9 hours on the warm setting or for 5 - 6 hours on the low setting.

In the final 15 minutes of cooking, stir in dried fruit of choice.

Serve with garnishments of your choice {additional chopped nuts, diced apple, coconut, etc.}. Serve with additional milk if oatmeal is too thick for your liking. Sweeten at time of service as desired if needed.


07/30/17: Updated photo and made clarifications to post/recipe.