Saturday, November 16, 2013

Weekend Cooking: Pumpkin Oatmeal in the Crockpot


Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.


I'd never heard of steel-cut oats before Lisa, Trish, and a couple of other blogging friends began cooking them overnight in their slow cookers and waking up to hearty, healthy hot breakfasts. A quick check of Wikipedia told me:
Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into pieces. They are commonly used in Scotland and Ireland to make porridge. 
Steel-cut oats are golden in color. They come in different grades depending on the size of the pieces: pinhead (the largest), coarse, medium and fine. Steel-cut oats take longer to cook than instant or rolled oats due to their minimal processing, typically 15–30 minutes (less, if pre-soaked). The flavor of the cooked oats is described as being nuttier than other types of oats, and they are also chewier.

Several recipes were pinned and I really meant to try them last winter, but you know how that goes. When Molly wrote a Weekend Cooking post featuring Pumpkin Oatmeal last month, I added steel-cut oats to my grocery list.  With Twin A (the other big pumpkin lover in the family) home last weekend, the time for steel-cut oats in the crockpot had come at last.

The recipe, originally posted at Peanut Butter & Peppers, couldn't be simpler.


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, place the bowl in your slow cooker, pour water into the slow cooker to at least half way up the bowl (like a water bath), and cook on low for about 8 hours.

The hardest part for us was finding a bowl large enough to hold oatmeal mixture, yet small enough to fit inside the slow cooker.



I omitted stevia from the recipe and drizzled a little maple syrup into my bowl instead. Sprinkling chopped walnuts or pecans and a few raisins on top would be perfection. And did I mention that the house smelled like pumpkin pie?

If you (or someone you love) are a fellow pumpkin fanatic, you've GOT to try this!




39 comments:

  1. What a great use for a slow cooker (even better than making dinner it1) I made a recipe from Cooking Light that included steel-cut oats and pearl barley, and you could cook it in the microwave because the oats etc. soaked overnight. It was very good, but because let's just say the mixture expands temporarily while cooking, you needed to use an enormous bowl. Guess who didn't? :) But you're reminding me how good steel-cut oats are. I think I even a recipe in my clippings for a savory 'risotto' made with them. Hmmm....

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    1. Audrey - I think waking up to a hot breakfast may be even better than coming home to dinner already made.

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  2. I tried this, but used a different recipe and had a total fail. I'm going to try this one now!

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  3. I've cooked steel-cut oats in a small crockpot (no water bath) overnight with good success. I've never made it with pumpkin! I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow.

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    1. Beth F - I wondered if you could make them without the water bath….

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  4. Replies
    1. Kathy - This would be a hit with any pumpkin lover!

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  5. I AM a pumpkin fanatic. This looks so much tastier than a bowl of packaged instant oatmeal. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Kerry Ann - I will never eat instant oatmeal again. It was good left over, too.

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  6. That looks wonderful to wake up to on a late fall morning!

    Joy's Book Blog

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  7. I love everything pumpkin and will try this. I usually do pumpkin pancakes.

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    1. Esme - I've never made pumpkin pancakes. Thanks for the idea!

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  8. Now that is a great slow cooker technique - gives me a whole lot of ideas! Thanks

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    1. Carole - I'm going to experiment with other flavors, too!

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  9. I have to admit that I can't bring myself to eat oatmeal (don't even like the smell) - a throwback to being made to eat it as a child - but you've sure made it look tempting. Cooking overnight in the crockpot is definitely a genius idea for those who do appreciate a hearty bowl of oatmeal in the morning.

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    1. Couscous & Consciousness - I know what you mean… I hated all hot cereals as a kid and it took me a long time to try them again as an adult.

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  10. Oh wow, I love oatmeal for breakfast but have never thought of putting steel-cut oats in the crock pot. This sounds fabulous, I am pinning it.

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  11. I have made baked pumpkin oatmeal (loved it!), but never tried it in the crockpot. I have everything for this recipe in my cupboard, so may be trying it soon!

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    1. Janel - I've never seen a recipe for baked oatmeal, but am going to look it up. We don't always plan far enough ahead for a crock pot breakfast!

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  12. I eat steel cut oats often and mix either goji berries or craisins in with them. The steel cut oats do seem to taste better than others.

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    1. angrygreycatreads - The mix-ins make it even better! Bet my daughter would love it with craisins.

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  13. Yummy! I have steel-cut Irish oatmeal in my cupboard. Never seem to have time to make it, but this recipe looks delicious. No excuses now! My task will be to get a large bowl that can fit in my crock pot first, then I will try it. For people who eat nuts and seeds, they could probably also sprinkle a handful of the organic shelled pumpkin seeds on top when it comes out. I would love pecans on it. Thanks for sharing it.

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    1. Rita - Pumpkin seeds and pecans would be delicious additions! Definitely make sure your bowl fits in the crockpot before beginning… you should have seen us tearing the kitchen apart trying to find one that would work.

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    1. Esme - I love pumpkin granola! My daughter makes that, too.

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  15. Now I want some though I wonder about the texture. I'm such a picky eater. :-)

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    1. Vasilly - The texture of this dish was a happy surprise for me… not as mushy as regular oatmeal.

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  16. I'm a pumpkin lover and my son is a steel oats lover. I'm going to suggest this recipe to him. It sounds like an excellent idea for a breakfast dish this time of year.

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    1. Margot - I know I'll be making this again when everyone is home for Thanksgiving.

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  17. I have never made a breakfast items in the crock pot but that sounds so good! I'm going to have to try this.

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    1. Melissa - This was my first crockpot breakfast. My mother made it earlier this week and thought it wasn't sweet enough. She omitted the stevia like I did, but said she would add brown sugar next time.

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  18. I love the idea of healthy oats for breakfast but it just doesn't appeal to me much. I have to say though that they sound yummy in theory and the picture. Lol.

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    1. Darlene - That sounds like Twin B! She loved the idea of the oatmeal, but it didn't appeal to her at breakfast time … maybe a different flavor might have worked for her.

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  19. So glad you liked it :) I skipped the stevia and used maple syrup and walnuts as well. Hmmm... I think I may need another batch this coming weekend when they are calling for the first snow of the season!

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