Crock pot cooking offers specific advantages over other heating methods, so I want to utilize those to help with two problems:

1. steel-cut oats

2. waiting to eat your breakfast while it cooks

This is a great Saturday night activity which ensures that you'll have a wonderful Sunday breakfast for all, when you want it, not after you've slaved in the kitchen for an hour and a half, partially asleep, sneaking Christmas cookies due to starvation whilst you are cooking what you'd rather be eating.

Step 1: Here's What You Need

a crock pot(isn't that what this is all about?)

cup of cranberries(bog berries!)

1.5 cup of milk(I like it Raw)

3 cups of water

1.5 cup of steel-cut oats(those cans make great containers)

1 tsp salt(the pink stuff, please)

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp butter, cut into 8 pats, plus 1/4 cup for greasing pot

1 green apple, diced

1 lb of chestnuts(optional)(the season is ending, the ones left are from Italy - that's funny to me)

1 tsp of cinnamon

Step 2: Here's What to Do

If you are going to add chestnuts, start on those first:

see https://www.instructables.com/id/Traditional-Most-...

Generously coat crock pot with 1/4 c butter, bottom and sides. (This is important)

Turn on crock pot to Low

Add all ingredients to crock pot.

If you are adding chestnuts, they should be done and ready to peel at this point.

Add those, breaking up into segments. Be picky and toss any that aren't lovely.

Nine hours is the most you want to cook this for, so preparing the breakfast meal an hour or two before you hit the sack should be your guide.

Step 3: Prep Any Toppings

So that they'll be ready for the morning.

Think crunchy and chewy to add more varieties of texture, to complement the oatmeal.

My daughter cracked open the nuts and then chopped them. Ooh!, she found a perfect heart in one of them!

: )

I'll also slice some bananas in the morning, right before we sit down to eat.

What do you think would work nicely?

Step 4: The Next Morning

As soon as you wake up, turn it off. The top will look a bit dark, feel free to stir it up a bit.

Also feel free to go back to bed for a bit. Breakfast is made, and it IS Sunday.

(Effin' roosters, guess I'll just get up and make tea and finish writing this Instructable)

The Breakfast of Champions should stay plenty warm for a while. You can always turn it back on Low 15-20 minutes before eating.

Results:

It was really yummy!!

I'll be doing this more often, for sure.

Oh, this made enough for about 6-9 people, depending on appetites.

One more thing, be sure to employ some quality control about the nut-cracking: chopped nuts on top of Breakfast of Champions is super-satisfying. Little bits of nut shells mixed in might be kinda distracting for some, whether you a Champ or not.

: D

Hope you try this and experiment freely with alternate ingredients!