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Thursday 20 February 2014

Steel Cut Oats In The Crockpot


This is my first time cooking steel cut oats and I had to do a bit of research to find out what to do with them. They don't look anything like rolled oats. I admit I am not a very adventurous eater and was afraid it would taste like I strapped a horse feed bag on for breakfast.



The difference between steel cut and rolled oats is in the amount of processing.  Rolled oats are steamed and put through rollers to flatten them out and allow them to cook quicker.  Quick rolled oats are flattened even more than traditional rolled oats.  They both retain the bran and are a great nutritional choice to start out your day.  Instant oats are a poor choice because they have salt and sugar added, not to mention weird, dyed stuff that they pawn off on us as fruit.

Steel cut rolled oats are kind of the superstars of the oatmeal world.  They are pure oat groats chopped into small pieces.  That's it.  They have a lower glycemic index, which means it doesn't cause your sugar to spike and drop off rapidly.  This is the kind of slow burning carb that keeps your energy levels up and the munchies at bay.

The down side is they take half an hour to cook.  I am soooo not doing that in the morning!  

Enter the crock pot!  Every article I read said you needed a four to one ratio of oats to liquid. I melted a teaspoon of butter and brushed it on the inside of the crockpot so the oats wouldn't stick to it.  In went one cup of the steel cut oats, 2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of whole, organic milk.  I know that's not a 4 to 1 ratio but I'm a culinary rebel and that looked good to me.  

Here's how it looks before cooking. ~


I've added wild blueberries and a pinch of sea salt.  You could add cinnamon or nutmeg and any fruit that strikes your fancy.

Let it cook on low for five hours and you have this. ~


Ready for the taste test?  This was the best oatmeal I have ever had!  No kidding.  I drizzled the teeniest bit of  raw honey on it.  It didn't need any milk added. The texture was close to rolled oats and I have to say the flavour was really superior.  It just tastes more oaty/grainy.  Is oaty a word?


It reheats beautifully in the microwave or pot on the stove and one cup of oats has given me enough for a week of breakfasts.  

I'm sold on steel cut for taste, all for food that has limited processing and the prepared yield is so high the extra cost isn't an issue with me.  What a great way to have a hot, healthy breakfast premade for schooldays with kids!

Try it, you'll like it!

I'm sharing this with:  Tuesdays With A Twist

15 comments:

  1. I've never heard of steel cut oats, interesting! I've cooked rolled oats in the slow cooker I love that.

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  2. I love oatmeal and having it cook in the crockpot would be perfect!

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  3. Picked up my steel cut oats yesterday so I'm making my oatmeal today! Can't wait to taste the difference. Thanks for passing this on.

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  4. We love steel cut oats, and it's a brilliant idea to have it ready for you in the AM. Just brilliant, because it does take a long time to cook. We will definitely try this!

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  5. Cool! I didn't know anything at all about steel cut oats before this!

    Cindy

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  6. You just sold me, so pinning the recipe too.

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  7. Hi Maureen ... I do like the steel cut oats and have some in my pantry right now. I choose the fast to cook oats for convenience. I guess I need to get a slow cooker to cook the steel cut oats. Thanks for the reminder to eat healthy.
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

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  8. I love oatmeal and II kind of want to try this in my mini crock pot for Sam and I. I'm wondering if you can over cook them. We don't eat breakfast until 8, so they would be in the crock pot longer.

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  9. Now I am hungry for breakfast- lol Sounds so good. Just so you know-thanks for leaving comments on my blog but you have reverted to a No Reply comment again. Just thought you might want to know- xo Diana

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  10. This looks absolutely delicious, and I'm loving the addition of the blueberries. Never heard of steel cut oats, but I'll have to try them for sure.

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  11. If I eat oatmeal, I eat steel-cut oats. :) I usually make about 4 servings on the stove, then just reheat them for breakfast. It's awesome with cherries, too. :)

    -andi

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  12. Huh...I'm into healthy eating, but have not tried the steel cut oats yet. You sure have made it easy enough for me to try now. Thanks!

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  13. I love porridge but I'm afraid I use the quick version, I've never seen steel cut oats. My father was Scottish and ate porridge like a true Scotsman with a little cold milk and salt ! Personally I like mine with maple syrup.

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  14. Just like Fiona, I, too, like my rolled oats with a drizzle of 100% maple syrup (stopped using the popular commercial brands after viewing a very scary Canadian news report stating that caramel colour, found in colas, beer, maple syrup, and other products, contains carcinogens). If you're interested it's here:
    http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/consumer-agency-concerned-about-caramel-colour-1.1653330

    I will try steel cut oats when I come home to Toronto this March, as we don't get them here, and will copy your great cooking strategy, to have a few days worth/several servings on hand! Thanks for sharing!

    Poppy

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  15. Oh, Maureen, I love oatmeal. I've got to try this! Thanks for sharing!

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