Apple Pie Breakfast **

I have a bigger crockpot, so I doubled the recipe and used an extra cup of water to make it cook for 7 1/2 hours on low (overnight).  It came out pretty bland, so before serving this morning, I added about 1/2 cup of Splenda brown sugar, another 1/2 tsp or so of cinnamon, and an extra cup of apple juice.  It ended up being pretty good.  The kids actually both liked it, which is practically a miracle in itself.  :)  I'd be lying if I said it tasted anything at all like an apple pie, though.

Photo courtesy of Cooking with Jax

APPLE PIE BREAKFAST
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Cooking with Jax)

1 cup of steel cut oats*
3 diced apples (I use Gala)
1 cup apple juice (I use Oasis)
3 cups water
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions - Slow CookerFor Best Results: Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low until it reaches the consistency that you like. Be sure to stir every hour or so.
* You can also cook longer without stirring, but you have to add more water liquid and it does come out a bit mushier. Add an extra cup of liquid for 7-8 hours in the slow cooker.
* It must be steel cut oats when cooked in the slow cooker, as regular oats get very soggy when cooked this way. You can find steel cut oats in your local grocery store (sometimes they are called "irish oats" or "pinhead oats"). If you would really rather use rolled oats, be sure to use the stovetop method below and adjust your liquid/cooking time accordingly.
Directions - Stovetop MethodA few people have asked me about a stovetop method since not everybody has a slow cooker, and let's face it, sometimes we don't know what we want for breakfast until the morning of. Below is a stove top method and it tastes similar, but I still prefer the slow cooker version better (the oats become softer the longer they cook).
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches the consistency that you like.