Crockpot Steel Cut Oats

Well hello there!

Team ACT has been holding down the fort here at OurGreeneHome while I finished baking the bun in the oven.  That's right, Little Two was born about 2 weeks ago!  This pregnancy was a little tougher than the last, but the adjustment period afterwards has been a TON better!  We are so in love with our newest addition!

That being said, it's now time to break out all of the freezer meals I prepped before Little Two's arrival... way back in December.  This morning it was some steel cut oatmeal I made in the crockpot.  Not last night.  Not this morning.  But waaaay back in December.  And all I had to do this morning was reheat my serving in the microwave and add my favorite topping!  Super easy - super delicious and nutritious!  

Make these beauties one afternoon, freeze, and have a hearty oatmeal breakfast any day of the week!

Crockpot Steel Cut Oats - from this AWESOME site

Ingredients

1 cup steel cut oats

5 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1) Mix all ingredients in a crockpot.  Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring once per hour.  

Disclaimer: I forgot to stir mine once an hour - I didn't stir it until almost the end and the oats were still VERY watery.  I looked on the directions of the can and saw that I probably added too much water (mine called for 4 cups water to 1 cup oats), so I just stirred away and let them cook a little longer.  Mine took 4 - 5 hours on low.  It could have been a combination of how my crockpot cooks, the fact that I forgot to stir them every hour, or 5 cups was a little too much water.  Nonetheless, eventually most of the water was absorbed and the oats were cooked, so just keep an eye on your crockpot!

 2) Divide cooked oatmeal into a muffin tin.  I got 12 servings out of 1 cup of dry steel cut oats. (See how there was a little liquid left?  That's what you want - not all of the water completely absorbed so you'll have some to reheat with after you freeze it.)

3) Freeze oatmeal until solid.  Dip the bottom of the pan into some warm water to help release the frozen muffins of oatmeal.  I used a butter knife to help pop out the individual portions.  Store in a gallon freezer bag.

4) To serve: Let thaw in a container/bowl/sandwich bag overnight.  Reheat 1 - 2 minutes, depending on how frozen the oatmeal still is and how your microwave works.  Stir and reheat as necessary.  (You can also reheat from completely frozen - I'd defrost the serving for 1 minute 30 seconds on power level 3 first.) Top with desired toppings.  This morning, my toppings were a little brown sugar and a dab of maple syrup.  YUM!!

The Verdict

I've always had a love / hate relationship with oatmeal.  I want to like it SO BAD because I know it's SO GOOD for you.  But for me, it's a texture issue.  Oatmeal is just too mushy... and I don't do mushy.  BUT.  Have you tried steel cut oats?  They maintain a little "bite" to them once they're cooked.  They're awesome!  We had been buying them prepackaged and precooked in the frozen section of our grocery store.  At a dollar a pop, I was thinking there had to be a more economical way to have the convenience of oatmeal without having to cook it on the stovetop every morning.  And this my friends is it.  I love the convenience factor of making a large batch and portioning myself.  Leaving the oats plain while freezing allows me to top them with whatever my heart desires that particular morning.  These would be great for even your pickiest eaters.  I can't wait to try them topped with frozen blueberries and some almonds next time!  What toppings are you going to top your oatmeal with?