Name: Slow-Cooker Irish Oatmeal
Total time: 4 h
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 cups steel-cut oats; 8 cups water; 1 teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

We love the chewy texture and fuller flavor of steel-cut oats (and also their health benefits). Although we set out to create an overnight version of these oats so they'd be ready the next morning, we found that the oats were mushy and blown-out after such a long cooking time. For perfectly cooked oats in the slow cooker, 3 to 5 hours of cooking time were key. Also, toasting the oats before putting them in the slow cooker brought out their nutty flavor. This oatmeal reheats well, so you can quickly serve it up again later in the week.

Before You Begin

Serve with your favorite toppings such as brown sugar, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts.

Instructions

1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add oats and toast, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir water and salt into slow cooker. Cover and cook until oats are softened and thickened, 4 to 5 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Stir oatmeal to recombine. Turn off slow cooker and let oatmeal sit for 10 minutes. Serve. (Oatmeal can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat oatmeal in microwave or in saucepan over medium-low heat; stir often and adjust consistency with hot water as needed.)