Slow Cooker Eggnog Cranberry Steel-Cut Oatmeal

**originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 12-22-14**

Ah, Christmas morning. The morning where everyone wants a delicious special breakfast, but nobody want to cook one! Spend more time with your family and make breakfast the night before! This week's recipe is Slow Cooker Eggnog Cranberry Steel-Cut Oatmeal! Now, there are two kind of people in this world: Those who eat oatmeal and those who don't. If you are not generally a fan of oatmeal, this recipe will not change your mind, even though it is good! Haha! But, if you enjoy oatmeal, this is a nice twist on the regular stuff. I topped mine with some extra cranberries and some chopped pecans, and it was a nice, filling dish. I would recommend doing this if you have a digital crock that can switch to "warm", otherwise it may get a bit overdone on the edges if you cook it overnight. But if you are up late and plan to get up early (about 6 hours), then you are fine if you don't have a digital one! I cooked on low for 6 hours and then my crock switched to warm for a few hours and it was fine. You could probably cook it on high for 2-3 hours too, if you just get up early enough.

 

SLOW COOKER EGGNOG CRANBERRY STEEL-CUT OATMEAL

• 4 cups eggnog
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries or Craisins
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax seeds
• (optional toppings: chopped nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, additional eggnog or cranberries, etc)

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Put all the ingredients in the slow cooker (except optional ingredients) and mix together. Cook on low for 6 hours or until oats are cooked and softened and the edges have browned a bit. Spoon it up in bowls to serve and add additional toppings if desired! Merry Christmas!