Easy Crock Pot Irish Oatmeal

I don’t know about you, but I really love hot breakfast. Cereal is great, but I prefer it late at night. Sadly, eating bacon and eggs every day is not an option for most people. It really isn't the best idea any way, even if it is delicious. However, oatmeal can be made to be super yummy, it will give you much-needed fiber and keep you full for most of the morning. Irish Oats, also known as Steel-Cut Oats, are supposed to be some kind of magical oatmeal that will cure everything and make you live to 150. I’m not sure about that, since I don’t take a lot of stock in “super foods”. However, I am trying to eat well, including incorporating more whole foods in my diet. Oatmeal, rolled or steel-cut, falls into that category. The ingredient list is: “Oats”. I like that.

The following recipe and variations can be made over the course of 3 hours in a crock pot. This means you toss it in when you get home from work, cook it and put it away right before bed. You will then have 9-10 one cup servings. If you do this the day before your work week, it will keep two people fed for the entire week.

Easy Crock Pot Pumpkin Irish Oatmeal

Ingredients:
·         3 C water*
·         2 C Irish (steel cut) Oats
·         2 cans evaporated milk
·         1 can (15.5 oz) pumpkin
·         1/3 C brown sugar
·         1 cinnamon stick
·         2 tsp ground nutmeg
·         2 tsp ground ginger
·         2 tsp ground cloves
·         2 tsp allspice

Directions:
Mix everything together in a crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring after two hours. It will thicken as it cools.

Variations:

Easy Crock Pot Lemon Blueberry Irish Oatmeal

Ingredients:
·         2 ½ C water*
·         2 C Irish (steel cut) Oats
·         2 cans evaporated milk
·         1 bag (10 oz) frozen blueberries
·         1/3 C honey or brown sugar
·         The juice and zest of one lemon, or 2 TBS bottled lemon juice or 2 tsp lemon extract
Directions:
Mix everything together in a crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring after two hours. It will thicken as it cools.


Easy Crock Pot Orange Blackberry Irish Oatmeal

Ingredients:
·         2 C water*
·         2 C Irish (steel cut) Oats
·         2 cans evaporated milk
·         1 bag (10 oz) frozen blackberries
·         1/3 C honey or brown sugar
·         The juice and zest of an orange or ½ C orange juice or 3 tsp orange extract
Directions:
Mix everything together in a crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring after two hours. It will thicken as it cools.


*If you like thick and sticky oatmeal, reduce the amount of water by a cup.

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