Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Hands down! I love everything about it. The fact that it is paired with coffee. YES!!! It’s an excuse to eat sweet treats in the morning. Double YES!!! There is something so comforting about making breakfast for my family and enjoying it together on a lazy weekend day. Lounging around in pajamas, with messy bed hair sipping on coffee. I live for these moments.
I also love going out for breakfast or “brunch.” Tasting new breakfast creations at local restaurants or just eating classic pancakes, eggs, biscuits or pastries at neighborhood spots. (A big plug for some of my fav spots: Pattiserie 46, Colassal Cafe, Rustica and Al’s Breakfast in Rhode Island).
So onto why brunch is in quotations. I use this term incorrectly about 100% of the time, as the hubs likes to remind me. When I mention making brunch or eating brunch, I normally mean eating a bigger than normal breakfast. On days when I eat “brunch,” I still eat lunch… just a little later in the day 🙂 Can you blame me? Ok you got me, I like to eat. Also my “brunch” timing is way off as compared to the social standard. I normally end up having brunch from 8-9am because 1. I have a baby who wakes up early 2. I do not sleep much 3. I get hungry early. However when gathering for a social brunch say at 10:30am, with normal people who sleep, I still have to eat breakfast to get me thru the morning.
So there. I love breakfast and misuse the term “brunch”. I’m not perfect but I will tell you what is… My Steel Cut Oats made in a crock pot.
This is the perfect winter weekday breakfast. Warm, cozy, smooth and healthy, these steel-cut oats are the perfect nutrient packed breakfast to kickoff your day. Trust me, start a dreadful Monday with these oats and you will power thru the morning like nobody’s business. My favorite thing about this breakfast is that it’s completely customizable. Today you can enjoy it with a dollop of Greek yogurt and granola, tomorrow you can enjoying it with blueberries and toasted coconut, and next week you can go peanut butter and jelly.
And yes steel cut oats do take some time to cook. But have no fear, just bring out your good old crock pot to do the dirty work. Give yourself 5 minutes on the weekend and enjoy your oats the next day and for the entire work week. C’mon you know you have 5 minutes to spare 😉
Steel Cut Oats in the Crock pot
Warm, hearty and nutrient packed, these steel-cut oats are the perfect breakfast for a busy day on a chilly morning. Best part is you can add your own toppings. Cinnamon, fruit, chocolate, granola, coconut, you name it. Plus what is better than a breakfast that takes 5 minutes to put together but makes enough for the entire week? And I must add this is gluten and vegan friendly.
Yields: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups of steel-cup oats
- 6 cups of water
- 2 cups milk (regular, almond, soy)*
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup ground flax-seed
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
Brush the crock pot with cooking oil or butter to prevent ingredients from sticking.
Put all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high.
Since the oats do not have sugar, feel free to add your favorite sweetener: honey, maple syrup, agave or brown sugar just before eating.
Last but not least, add your favorite toppings.
Here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Granola and a little Greek yogurt
- Blueberries and toasted coconut
- One tablespoon of pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice
- A heaping tablespoon of peanut butter and jelly
- Dried fruit, nuts and cardamom
- Cinnamon and maple syrup
- Pear slices, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey
- Chocolate chips and banana
- Banana and peanut butter
- Pomegranate seeds and blueberries
- Dried pineapple and coconut
Notes: I use vanilla almond milk in my steel-cut oats.
If you don’t have a crock pot, bring the ingredients to boil in a large pot and then simmer for 45 minutes, stirring here and there to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
To save, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for much longer. To defrost take it out the night before. To heat either microwave or reheat in a saucepan on the stove top with a splash of milk to soften the oats.
Originally posted 2015-12-13 16:59:00.
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