Day 45 - Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ladies and gentlemen, it is OCTOBER!

Woooohoooo!

I love October.  Why?  Because where I live, October is when fall starts.  Not the vernal equinox.  October.  That's when the weather gets cooler, pumpkin becomes an acceptable food, and I can start to think about sweaters!  Yay!

So, in honor of this first week of October, and in honor of the fact that the weather is, indeed, getting a little chilly...I propose a week of comfort food!

Um, including a week of salad dinners, so I don't feel awful.

Anyway, comfort food it is!

First up today is Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.  If you haven't tried oatmeal in the slow cooker, then you must not have a slow cooker!  The trick is to use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats.

Spoonful of steel cut oats.  Looks funny, tastes great.

 
 Rolled oats (or instant steel cut) will turn to glue in your crock pot.  Not tasty.  Traditional steel cut oats are slow cooking and turn out great overnight.  You just plug it in when you're headed to bed and 8 hours later, you have beautiful oatmeal!

I put mine in my handy dandy short thermos and took it to work.   Threw in some cold grapes on the side, I think.  Very filling, still very hot, and very October. :)

You can use any fruit or garnishing you want...the oatmeal to liquid ratio is what's really important, as well as the cooking time.  Other than that, replace with any fruit or seasoning you wish!  In the slow cooker, the edges will crust a little like bread pudding...so good.

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats (I use McCann's brand)
3 cups water
1 cup half & half (or reduced fat milk, if you want to be less indulgent)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 T brown sugar
2 T butter
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t kosher salt

Stir ingredients together in the crock of a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Top with more butter, sugar, milk, or whatever you like.  Makes 4-5 large servings.