Overnight Oatmeal

1. Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low.
2. Put the lid on and cook until the oats are tender and the porridge is creamy, 7 to 8 hours. Stove top Variation Halve the above recipe to accommodate the size of most double boilers.
3. Combine 4 cups water, 1 cup steel-cut oats, 3 tablespoons dried cranberries, 3 tablespoons dried apricots and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the top of a double boiler.
4. Cover and cook over boiling water for about 1 1/2 hours, checking the water level in the bottom of the double boiler from time to time.

Tips

Ingredient Note:

Steel-cut oats, sometimes labeled “Irish oatmeal,” look like small pebbles. They are toasted oat groats—the oat kernel that has been removed from the husk that have been cut in 2 or 3 pieces. Do not substitute regular rolled oats, which have a shorter cooking time, in the slow-cooker oatmeal recipe.

Per serving: 188 calories; 3 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 1 g mono unsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 9 g fiber; 80 mg sodium; 197 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (36% daily value).

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fruit

Contributed by: EatingWell.com

Here is an easy way to serve a crowd a hearty breakfast before facing the elements for a day of winter sports. You can assemble it in the slow cooker in the evening and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. The slow cooker eliminates the need for constant stirring and ensures an exceptionally creamy consistency. It is important to use steel-cut oats; old-fashioned oats become too soft during slow-cooking.