Name: Slow-cooked porridge
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 12 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 cup jumbo oats; 4 cups milk (or half milk, half water for a less creamy version), plus a dribble more milk to serve; ¼ cup dried fruits (optional); your favourite toppings - brown sugar or honey sliced bananas, grated apple, blueberries, pinch of cinnamon, natural yogurt, etc

1 cup jumbo oats
4 cups milk
(or half milk, half water for a less creamy version), plus a dribble more milk to serve
¼ cup dried fruits
(optional)

To serve

your favourite toppings - brown sugar or honey
sliced bananas, grated apple, blueberries, pinch of cinnamon, natural yogurt, etc

Method

step 1
Heat the slow cooker if necessary. Find a sturdy ceramic bowl that will fit in the cooker. Put the oats in the bowl along with a pinch of salt, then pour over the milk, or a mixture of milk and water. Add the dried fruit, if using. Place the bowl in the slow cooker and put on its lowest setting and cook overnight for 7-8 hours. If anyone’s up in the night, give the porridge a quick stir to scrape up the crustier bits from around the edges and bottom, but don’t worry if not.
step 2
In the morning, give the porridge a really good stir – it may have developed a crust on top, but just stir this in to break it up. Add a drop more milk to loosen if necessary, then ladle into bowls and add your favourite toppings.