Crockpot oatmeal!!!

[bettymae1121]

The last two mornings I've enjoyed the BEST oatmeal, so I thought I'd share. It's budget related because...uh...it's eating at home, yeah that's it!

I got a Lil' Dipper mini crockpot last year when I bought a big huge crockpot for large meals, and didn't really know what to do with the little one. I got the idea of making oatmeal in it overnight to have the next morning (I'm the only one in the house that will eat oatmeal, so the little crockpot is perfect) and tried it out last year, but it was so plain tasting I lost interest.

Over the summer I thought of adding dried fruit to it to add some flavor, and this is what I came up with.

In my little dipper, 1 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup steal cut oatmeal, small handfull of dried sliced apples. Cook for 8 hours overnight, when ready to eat sprinkle on cinnamon, a small drizzle of honey, and a small handful of peacans.

Oh. My. Word! is it good!!!!!

If you want to make enough for several people, just use a larger crockpot and increase ingrediants to 4 1/2 to 5 cups water to 1 cup stealcut oatmeal (normally oatmeal is 4 to 1 but you need extra water for the apples), and add more apples, and cook on "low" overnight, it should work fine. If you find your "low" is still too hot, I've also heard of people cooking it on "warm" overnight with good success.

Just thought I'd share my yummy discovery!

 

[mousefanmichelle]

I have a terrific crock pot oatmeal receipe -
I don't have exact amounts I just kinda wing it but make sure to coat your crock pot in spray or something before you cook otherwise the oatmeal sticks to it.

Oatmeal (not the quick cook stuff)- 1 cup
2 tablespn butter
1 tspn cinn.
1 tspn vanilla
Milk (1-2 cups)
chopped apple
dried cherries or raisens (cherries are the best thou)
pinch of salt (or not)

Cook about 6 hours and serve with a bit of milk over the top

My whole family loves this on a cool fall morning. You can cook it on the stove top it just needs to cook slow so the oatmeal gets soft.

Enjoy!
Michelle

 

[labdogs42]

Very cool! Except, I don't have a little dipper crock pot! Now I want one! I'm the only one in my house that will eat oatmeal, too.

 

[bettymae1121]

Oh one other tip, the Lil' Dippers don't have timers, so I use a Christmas light timer so it comes on at 1 AM and shuts off at 8 am, then it "coasts" until 9 AM when I'm ready to eat it. I wouldn't cook it more than 8 hours so if you think you'll be sleeping longer than that, dig out your Christmas light timer.

 

[TiffanyK]

I have wanted to try this forever, but just never did. Do you have to use steel cut oats or can you just use the regular kind (not quick cooking)? We have 4 people in our familly who will eat oatmeal for breakfast. This sounds so good!

 

[bettymae1121]

I have wanted to try this forever, but just never did. Do you have to use steel cut oats or can you just use the regular kind (not quick cooking)? We have 4 people in our familly who will eat oatmeal for breakfast. This sounds so good!

I've only tried steelcut so I'm not sure. Sorry!

 

[magchavez]

Oh one other tip, the Lil' Dippers don't have timers, so I use a Christmas light timer so it comes on at 1 AM and shuts off at 8 am, then it "coasts" until 9 AM when I'm ready to eat it. I wouldn't cook it more than 8 hours so if you think you'll be sleeping longer than that, dig out your Christmas light timer.

So, you put everything in the crockpot and set the timer to have it turn on seveal hours later. Is it ok to leave the oatmeal and the other ingredients sitting for a couple of hours before it turns on? Just curious. I'm ready to try it tonight!

 

[bettymae1121]

So, you put everything in the crockpot and set the timer to have it turn on seveal hours later. Is it ok to leave the oatmeal and the other ingredients sitting for a couple of hours before it turns on? Just curious. I'm ready to try it tonight!

Yes, exactly. I usually do my set up at around 9 PM and the timer is set from 1 AM to 8 AM. It's just water, oats, and apples so nothing that sitting out on the counter at room temp will harm, and without heat the oats won't get soft so it does't throw off the cooking time, at least for me.

 

[bookgirl]

I am the only one who eats steel cut in my house and it seemed a hassle to make it for one person every morning, now, once a week I make a large pot of oatmeal (usually 3-4 serving size), with water and a little bit of sweetner (honey or suger). Then I eat one serving and put the rest in the fridge. Then in the mornings I scoop out my serving, put it in a bowl or coffee cup, add a little milk, smoosh it around and microwave for 1 minute. Tastes great and I only have to cook once for a week. I never knew thought about refridgerating oatmeal but I saw it on a website and it's great.

 

[superme80]

I use regular oatmeal and it works just fine! So good!!! DS loves it!!!!

 

[trustknoone]

Alton Brown did a Good Eats all about this and other oatmeal stuff. Conveniently enough it's gonna be on again Oct 14th at 8pm and 3am (food network) followed by a new oatmeal episode.

 

[njsweetP]

So how small a crock pot can be used for this. I was looking on Amazon and found a 1.5 quart size ...is this too small? I would love to make this for breakfast during the week, but want a smaller crock to use instead of my big one.

 

[Abbie]

I'm not a huge oatmeal fan but even I want to try this! You make it sound so good. I also have that little dipper so I'll try that.

Oh and by the way, in case you need more ideas for it we use our little dipper at Christmastime with warm water to keep a bottle of spiced wine warm at parties. So good! Also good for quick fondues of cheese or chocolate.

 

[kasdancer]

I have never tried it in the slow cooker, but i found a recipe that you put the oatmeal in the rice cooker. It cooks in about 20 minutes. You use apple juice instead of water, add some raisins and cinn. It is sooo yummy and your house smells all festive with apple scent!

 

[beaucoup]

May I ask a question of those that have Lil Dipper crockpots?

I picked up an off-brand one last year thinking it would help in serving for large meals. I tried heating up gravy in it to keep warm, but it just never really got hot. We finally had to heat it on the stove, then put it back into the lil crockpot.

Are they not strong enough to heat things in? I use a 6 qt crockpot all the time so I'm familiar with how long things take.

I have never heard of steel cut oats, only rolled oats, so I looked it up on the internet. Interesting.

 

[pampam]

So how small a crock pot can be used for this. I was looking on Amazon and found a 1.5 quart size ...is this too small? I would love to make this for breakfast during the week, but want a smaller crock to use instead of my big one.

Do you need 6 cups of cooked oatmeal? That would be about 1 1/2 quarts.

 

[njsweetP]

Do you need 6 cups of cooked oatmeal? That would be about 1 1/2 quarts.

I'm looking to make 1-2 servings of oatmeal. I have a 6 quart but that would be too big to make the oatmeal in.