Recipe ReDux: Slow Cooker Maple Apple Oatmeal

We hear it all the time:  I don’t have time to make breakfast.  Since we firmly believe breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, we’re always looking for new and creative ways to make breakfast easy, as well as healthy and delicious.  That’s why we were excited when we saw this month’s theme for Recipe ReDux— The No-Casserole Crock Pot, challenging us to come up with a new use for the slow cooker.  How about breakfast?!

The slow cooker may not be new, but using it for breakfast puts it to a new use.  Growing up, our slow cooker was relegated to savory dinner dishes, like pork roasts and beef and bean chili.  But the slow cooker is a great time-saver for any food that takes well to long, slow cooking and doesn't need a lot of babysitting—like oatmeal.  Just put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker before you go to bed, and you wake up to a hot, nourishing breakfast.

You can experiment with different combinations of ingredients, to make the oatmeal your own.  My husband doesn't like milk in his oatmeal, so I make mine with just water.  Add more or less water, depending on how thin or thick you like your oatmeal.  You can certainly use half water and half milk, or a milk substitute.  Swap the apples for figs or dried plums, substitute honey or brown sugar for the maple syrup…the options are endless. 

We’d love to hear from you! How do you make breakfast easy, healthy and delicious?

Maple Apple Overnight Oatmeal    

Makes 4 servings

1 cup steel cut oats, or whole oat groats*

¼ cup ground flaxseed

3 1/2 - 4 cups of water, depending on how thick or thin you like your oatmeal
¼ teaspoon salt

2 apples, diced
½ cup dried currants

2 tablespoons maple syrup

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup toasted walnuts

Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker.  Set it to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.  When done, remove to serving bowls and top with toasted walnuts.      

Enjoy, preferably with someone you love!

*You can usually find whole oat groats in the bulk bins of your grocery store.