Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

I know.  It's July and the last thing on your mind is a hot, creamy, steamy bowl of oatmeal. But please, give this a chance.

You see I had a big container of steel cut oats sitting in our pantry cupboard for longer than I care to admit. It stared at me every time I moved the tortilla chips {which is often}.  I'm sure it thought it'd die a miserable death in the back of the dark cupboard.

But then one day I came across some recipes for slow cooker oatmeal.  And well, that just fascinated me.  It would allow me to make a big batch, then divide it up and have my breakfasts prepped and ready to go for the week.  It seems like since having kids my breakfasts have been less than stellar.  Down right pitiful actually.  I either forget to eat and then suddenly it's 10 a.m. or I'm catching a bite of something here and there, never really eating a proper breakfast.

So enter in this dish.

Now steel cut oats are different than your regular old-fashioned oats.  They take longer to cook due to very minimal processing {i.e. much healthier!}.

When I took the first bite of this I was SO happy.  I had no idea if they would turn out.  Oh, but they did. They turned out fabulous.  I even made my co-worker take a bit out of my bowl this morning and she also gave it 5 stars.

So, here's the thing.  Make this on Sunday so it's all ready to go Monday morning.  Or let it cook overnight while you are snoozing.  Each way works!

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

{Print this Recipe!}

8 1/2 c. water

2 c. steel cut oats

1 c. milk {any kind - whole, evaporated, almond, etc.}

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

unsalted butter

In a slow cooker take a stick of unsalted butter and rub down the insides of the slow cooker. Pour in all of the ingredients and stir.  Set to low and cook for 7-8 hours.

This will make 7-8 good sized servings.  Divide out the oatmeal in heat safe bowls, allow to cool and store in the fridge.  When ready to reheat microwave for 1 minute, stir, heating for another minute until heated through.  Add toppings for taste.

My favorite is sliced banana, honey and walnuts.  Other options could be dried fruit, peanut butter, brown sugar, agave nectar or homemade jam.

The next few weekends are going to be a bit of a whirlwind.  This weekend the kids are with their grandparents, which equals free time for me.  Whoo-hoo!  Then I have my high school girls coming to visit, then our annual Koch Olympics {long story}, then a family wedding, then.......wait for it.......a VACATION!

We have not taken a vacation since 2006.  Our honeymoon.  I know, it's bad.  Now granted our kids will be with us, but so will lots of other family, so I'm hoping I at least get one long afternoon to sit on the dock with a good book and a drink.

I can hope.