The Most Flavorful Oatmeal Isn't Made On The Stove
Warm, hearty, filling — these are some of the words you could use to describe a nice morning bowl of oatmeal. However, there are unfortunately a few other words that are often associated with this run-of-the-mill dish. It's not uncommon to view oatmeal as bland and possibly even boring. While it's a filling meal, rolled oats and water don't exactly scream "fun" to most people. But there's a cure for bland stovetop oats: It's found in the type of oatmeal you use and in the way you prepare your dish.
Several factors go into making a great bowl of oatmeal, including the bowl itself, but your best bowl of oatmeal will be made by utilizing steel-cut oats and your slow cooker. Conveniently enough, choosing to cook steel-cut oats in a slow cooker is not only easier and healthier, but it also creates the tastiest version of the age-old dish. Steel-cut oats are richer in nutrients than regular rolled oats and have a somewhat nutty flavor, creating a more multifaceted breakfast. Additionally, they are less processed than rolled oats and are thus somewhat chewy when cooked, giving you a boost in texture and flavor.
Let your slow cooker do the work
The slow cooker allows you to make your oatmeal overnight for an easy breakfast the next day. If you want to load up your oatmeal with tons of flavor, the slow cooker is best because it allows your oatmeal to stew in cream, fruits, sugars, and spices for hours, imparting more flavor to your otherwise humble and nondescript oats. While you can debate that water or milk is best for oatmeal, many recipes for slow cooker oats add both to make sure that your oats get a wonderful creamy flavor without worrying about potential overcooking.
As with other oatmeal dishes, what you choose to add to your slow cooker oats goes a long way — even more so in this case, since these flavors are left to mingle with your oatmeal for hours before you sit down for breakfast. Adding apples (or other fruits) works wonderfully here since the fruit will break down and almost caramelize in the slow cooker, leading to a delicious flavor enhancement. Not everything should go in the slow cooker right away, though. For example, you should keep nuts and other crunchy ingredients for the very end as a garnish to add more texture, like in this recipe for apple-cinnamon steel-cut oatmeal. Ultimately, letting some steel-cut oats simmer overnight is your best bet for flavorful oats that are both easy and healthy, and there's nothing bland or boring about that.