CrockPot Egg, Feta, and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

Day 154.

Last week, I saw that Kalyn had posted an egg dish with feta and mushroom. I happened to have a new carton of eggs in the fridge and a block of feta that I didn't know what to do with. Within nano-seconds of reading her blog post, I ran to the store to pick up the mushrooms so I could plop everything into the crockpot. This is a fabulous breakfast dish---the eggs and the feta are fluffy and juicy and not grease-filled. I would serve these eggs to overnight guests any time.

The Ingredients.

--1 dozen eggs
--1 lb sliced mushrooms
--1 lb sliced portabella mushrooms (or other "fancy" mushroom)
--1 chopped red bell pepper
--1 block feta cheese
--1/2 t black pepper

The Directions.

Saute the mushrooms and bell pepper in a largeish frying pan on the stove in a bit of olive oil or butter (I used butter) until they are wilty and tender. Spray the inside of your crock with cooking spray, and add the cooked mushrooms, bell pepper, and the mushroom juice.

Crumble in the entire block of feta cheese.

In a large bowl, crack all 12 eggs, and mix with a fork. Add the pepper to the eggs and mix.

Pour the egg on top of the feta and veggies.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours. I used a 4qt round crockpot for this dish and it cooked in 3 hours, 15 minutes.


The Verdict.

I love these eggs. I really like how creamy the feta got, and how the eggs were flavored so nicely without any grease. I hate having too much grease for breakfast, yet love to have cheese and eggs. This is such a great compromise----I greatly look forward to having it again.

We ate this for lunch. The kids did great--they were in a really good mood, and happily ate 3-4 bites each before wandering off. I think it was a fluke.

CrockPot Breakfast Risotto

Day 173.

I love risotto. I was very pleased with the crockpot risotto I made earlier in the year---it was cheesy and creamy and delicious.

I think I just drooled a little, remembering.

I was excited when I thumbed through a little Crock-Pot recipe card book that I got at the grocery store to see that there was a Breakfast Risotto recipe listed, and that I had all of the necessary ingredients in the house. I followed the recipe, with a few tweaks. I found a pretty surprising typo, also...
see if you can find it.

The Ingredients.

--1/4 cup butter
--3 little apples (I had 2 greens, and 1 red in the house)
--1 1/2 t cinnamon
--1/8 t nutmeg
--1/8 t cloves
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1 1/2 cups arborio rice
--1/3 cup brown sugar
-- 4 cups of liquid. I used a tiny can of apple juice, and half and half for the rest.

The Directions.

I used a 4 qt round crockpot for this dish.

Turn your crock to high and add the butter so it can start melting. Wash and cut up your apples while it begins to melt.

Add the rice to the butter, and stir it around to coat it nicely. If the butter isn't completely melted, don't worry. Mine wasn't either, and it didn't seem to make a difference.

Add the apples, and spices. Stir in the juice/milk.

Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours, or on low for 6 or so.

I was really surprised how long it took---I needed to cook it on high for 4.5 hours---and since I just made the rice and beans, I thought it would cook as fast as that dish did.

The Verdict.

Oh my. This was delicious. The kids each had 3 small bowls, and I had more than I probably should have since it was full of half and half. But it was very tasty.

The half and half did separate a bit, and created some white chunks. We had it in the house because we made some plastic bag ice cream, and I didn't want it to go bad, but next time I'll stick to 2% milk in the crock. That said, the white chunks dissipated after a quick stir, and it didn't taste sour or weird at all.

It was creamy and delicious. We added a touch more brown sugar to the top and sprinkled on some dried cranberries.

I will definitely make this again, and not try to fix the brown rice and quinoa dish. The kids decided it was porridge and did a whole bear and Goldilocks routine. My part was sitting on the couch and eating. good deal.

CrockPot Spinach and Feta Quiche

Day 171.

While I was working last week, I came across a recipe for a Crustless Spinach and Feta Quiche on the Baking Bites website. I happened to have all the ingredients in the house, and gave it a go the other day in the crockpot. I liked it, but I liked the egg, mushroom, and feta dish better. This is very similar, except that I put in some flour as suggested to create a thicker filling and to try to create a mock-crust.

I haven't ever had a homemade quiche. I've had frittata a bunch of times, and maybe that's almost the same thing, but the only quiche I've had that have been called quiche are the tiny frozen ones from Costco. Those are delicious.

The Ingredients.

Adapted from Baking Bites

--6 oz bag of baby spinach

--1/2 onion, minced

--3 eggs

--1/2 cup flour (I used Pamela's)

--1/2 t baking powder (I omitted this, since Pamela's has baking powder in it)

--1/8 t cayenne pepper

--1/2 of a 4oz block of feta

--1 1/3 cup of milk

The Directions.

I used my mom's 4qt round crockpot for this dish, because I felt quiche should be round, and I still haven't given it back since Easter.

Butter or spray your crockpot stoneware insert. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg, flour, and cayenne. Add the onion and spinach to the bowl, and stir until all of the spinach leaves have a bit of the mixture on them. Pour into the crock, and shove down the spinach leaves with a wooden spoon.

Crumble the 1/2 block of feta over the top.

Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for about 4. This is done when the edges are brown, and start to pull away from the sides of the crock. Check with a knife to make sure the eggs are fully cooked.

Unplug and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

The Verdict.

I liked this, but we didn't eat very much of it. I made it for dinner, but we mostly ate leftover ribs. The kids didn't try a taste. I wanted the cayenne to stick out more, and it was completely lost. The flour did settle a bit, which was neat to see, and the spinach and the egg was very moist and tasty. I like the combo of spinach and feta, and will probably try to do something like this again, but maybe with some more feta spread throughout, and perhaps a touch of lemon. I kept wanting a citrus bite.

Thank you, Baking Bites!

CrockPot French Toast Bake Recipe

Day 216.

French toast! In the crockpot! While you sleep!

Life has just gotten even better.

Heather emailed me a french toast recipe that she has made a few times in the crockpot successfully. She points out that since she lives in Las Vegas, turning on the oven in 100-degree-weather is just not going to happen.

The Ingredients.

--1 whole loaf of bread (I made a gluten-free raisin bread)
--1 dozen eggs
--2 t vanilla
--4 cups of milk (1 used 3 cups of soy, and 1 cup of heavy cream)
--1/4 t salt
--2 t cinnamon
--1/4 cup brown sugar
--1/4 cup walnuts, or other desired nuts (optional. I did not use nuts this time.)

The Directions.

I used a 6 qt Smart-Pot Crock-Pot for this. I'd recommend a 5 or 6qt for this dish. If you have a smaller crockpot, scale back a bit. Maybe only use 1/2 a loaf of bread.

Grease the inside of your crockpot very well with butter, shortening, or cooking spray. Slice your bread into large slices (if it's already sliced, just dump it in) and place the bread into the crockpot.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Pour on top of the bread.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is done when the bread has soaked up all of the liquid and the egg has cooked (you can tell because you'll see bits of cooked egg stuck to the bread). The bread will expand---it's like one of those spongy foam things that come in the capsules and turn into a dinosaur. Very cool.

After 8 hours, I had a bit of liquid left in the crockpot, but the bread on top was browned nicely and the egg was done. I took the lid off and went hunting for the camera, and then checked email, and then watered the garden. 30 minutes had passed before I remembered that I had left the lid off of the crockpot, and that it was still plugged in. BUT! all the moisture was gone and the french toast was perfect.

so there you go. I'd give that a try.

The Verdict.

Very good! We ate this for dinner, but I will most definitely make it again for a nice family breakfast or brunch.

Thanks so much, Heather!!

CrockPot Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Day 228.

In the past few weeks I've gotten a few different emails from fantastic people sharing their hash brown layered casserole breakfast concoctions. This is a combo of Melba, Mikell, and Alison's recipes.

We were ecstatic with the results. This is a keeper, and something you should definitely file away for a brunch or potluck get-together.

The Ingredients.

30 ounce package of plain frozen hash brown (shredded) potatoes
4 already-been cooked sausage, or leftover diced ham (I used chicken and apple sausage)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup skim or fat free milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart Smart-Pot for this recipe.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray. Dump in the whole package of hash browns. Spread them out with your fingers, and break up any clumps.

In a mixing bowl, mix the dozen eggs with the milk, salt and pepper, cheese, cut up sausage, and diced vegetables. Pour everything on top of the hash browns.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. This is done when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges start to brown a bit. If you want the cheese to brown and get a bit crispy on the sides, cook it longer.

The Verdict.

Delicious. Yummy. We've eaten this for breakfast everyday for the past three days.

Updated 2/28/09: I made this vegetarian this morning. I used 1/3 of a small yellow onion, 1 red and 1 green bell pepper diced, and 1 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped. I also upped the cheese to 2 cups. Since there isn't the additional flavor from the sausage, I increased the salt and pepper to 1 1/2 tsp of each, total.
I then cooked on high for 4 hours, then another 30 min with the top off to release condensation. It was wonderful.

more breakfasty goodness in the slow cooker

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You Can Make Yogurt in Your CrockPot!

Day 297.

You can! You really, really can!

Posts like this get me so excited. I love finding new ways to use the crockpot. My friend Jessica has always made homemade yogurt for her kids, and after looking up what a yogurt maker did, I had the idea that a crockpot could work. But I never found a source that would walk me through the steps.

Until Debbie. Debbie (who needs to start a blog because she is an almost-debt-free homeschooling mom to six) came to my rescue and held my hand (virtually) through yogurt-making.

Thank you, Debbie! xoxo

The Ingredients.

--8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)

--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)

--frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring

--thick bath towel

--slow cooker (scroll down for the ones that I recommend)

The Directions.

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.

I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.


Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.



Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.


Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.

Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.

Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.


The Verdict.

Wowsers! This is awesome! I was completely astonished the next morning that the yogurt thickened. I was so excited to feel the drag on the spoon---and sort of scared the kids with my squealing.

They each ate a huge serving that morning (they added honey to their servings) and have eaten it for every meal for 2 days. I'm actually kind of worried they're over-doing it, but whatever. They're happy and are eating real food.

This is so much more cost-effective than the little things of yo-baby I was buying for them. I haven't run the numbers, because I sort of suck at math, but it's huge. Seriously huge.

Updated 10/23 8:45 pm:
 
I have gotten quite a few emails alerting me that yes, you can use lower-fat content milk with this method. To thicken the best, add one packet of unflavored gelatin to the mix after stirring in the yogurt with active cultures. Some have had good success mixing non-fat milk powder in as well.

The way I created fruit-flavored yogurt was by taking a cup or so of the plain and blending it in the stand blender (vitamix) with frozen fruit. Although this tastes great, the yogurt never thickened back up the way the plain did. I think maybe keeping the plain separate and adding fruit daily is your best bet. Or you can try the gelatin trick.

I was able to achieve a Greek-style yogurt this afternoon by lining a colander with a coffee liner and letting the liquid drip out of the leftover plain I made. The remaining yogurt was as thick as sour cream.
 
updated again: NEAT! Tricia made an allergen-free yogurt, and you can read about it here.


A HUGE honking THANK YOU to Johanna (banana?) for doing the math:

Here’s your milk/yogurt math…you have to add the cost of electricity, starter and fruity stuff:

Where I live (Seattle area):

One 6-pack of yo-baby is $6.50 (24 ounces)
One gallon of almost totally organic milk is $3.00 (128 ounces)
One gallon of yobaby would be $34.67 or 10 times what it cost you to make it, more or less.

THAT’S A BIG DEAL.

	yobaby	milk	yobaby would be
cost	$6.50	$3.00	$34.67
ounces	24	128	128
cost/oz	$0.27	$0.02	$0.27

CrockPot Granola Recipe

Day 315.

I found oats! yay! They were hiding out at the fancy-pants grocery store.

We were all quite pleased with this granola, and have eaten almost all of it already. The kids and Adam ate a bunch warm, right out of the pot. I'm making some more today.

There's no right or wrong way to make granola. Feel free to switch around ingredients depending on your family's tastes/wishes.

The Ingredients.

- 5 cups oats (if gluten free, make sure the oats are certified GF.)
- 1/4 cup honey * (see note below)
- 1/4 cup melted butter * (see note below)
- 1 T flax seeds
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

The Directions.

Put all the dry ingredients into your crockpot. You'll need at least a 4 quart.

Melt the butter in the microwave, and add. Add the honey. Toss well.

*note: if you add this amount of honey and butter, the granola will be cereal-like, and not trail-mix like. If you'd rather the granola clump together in pieces, you'll need to add more honey and butter. I tried it with the honey and butter doubled (1/2 cup each) and it still didn't clump much--so if you'd prefer your granola that way, you'll need to add at least 3/4 cup of honey. I didn't want that much sugar, and my kids are cool with eating it like this.

Cover, but vent with a chopstick. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often.

If you can smell the granola cooking, go stir. It will burn if you don't keep an eye on it. But it won't burn as quickly as it does in the oven!

(ask me how many batches of granola I've had to throw out after burning in the oven. go ahead, ask. )

7. at least 7. I am no good with the oven.

Dump out on some parchment paper and let cool. Eat with milk like cereal, warmed with milk like oatmeal, or as is. Seal well in an air-tight container or in a ziplock. Granola freezes well.

The Verdict.

This is one of the only times I haven't burnt granola, and my kids have been eating it non-stop since the first batch came out of the crock. I'm going to go have some more right now.

The Thanksgiving recipes start tomorrow! I'm so excited.

CrockPot Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Day 331.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I think I'm in denial.

If you're looking for tried-and-true CrockPot Holiday (any holiday!) Dishes, here's a list.

Today, however, I'm posting about baked oatmeal. I started making baked oatmeal when my first was about a year old and I was working out of the house. The mornings were never long enough, and I wanted her to have something hearty (and healthy) for breakfast. I'd make a pan on the weekend and cut off squares each morning for her to eat in the car.
It worked really well.

Baked oatmeal can be uber-healthy, or packed with sugar. I've cut the sugar and butter in half since I first started making it. If you think your family will meet this with resistance, start with a full cup of brown sugar (no need to double the butter in the crockpot, there's plenty of moisture) and then cut it back each time. You can sneak in nuts (ground or whole), extra grains, fresh and dried fruit, and protein powder.

The Ingredients.

--3 cups rolled (not instant) oats (if gluten free, make sure they are certified)
--1/2 cup brown sugar
--2 tsp cinnamon
--2 tsp baking powder
--1 tsp salt
--2 T flax meal (optional)
--1 cup milk
--2 eggs
--2 tsp vanilla
--1/4 cup butter, melted
--3/4 cup dried fruit

updated 11/29: if you are going to use steel-cut oats, you'll need more liquid. I don't know how much though, so if you figure it out, let me know! :-)

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart round crockpot. You're baking this, but no need to vent the lid of the crock; keep all the moisture in.

I really wanted this to take 6 hours on low so I could see if it could be done overnight. It took 4 3/4 on low for me----so unless you hardly sleep, do this in the day time so you can keep an eye on it.

Mix all the ingredients together in the crockpot. I dumped in all the dry stuff, then added the melted butter and milk. Stir well with a spoon---make sure the baking powder gets dispersed evenly.

Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours, checking every so often. This is done when the edges are brown and are beginning to crust, and the center is set. An inserted knife should come out clean.

Let it sit in the cooling crockpot for at least an hour before attempting to cut. The longer you let it sit, the more set and brownie-like the pieces will be.

The Verdict.

I made this on Sunday evening and it's already all gone. The kids hadn't had it in a while and had a bunch for breakfast each day and wanted it for dessert last night. The flavor is like a great big oatmeal cookie. I like mine heated with my morning coffee, and Adam likes to crumble his on top of yogurt.

CrockPot Peanut Clusters

Day 356.

11 days to go until 2009. I'm going to cry.

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, and there are only a few days left until Christmas. If you're entertaining for the holidays, or need any last-minute hostess gifts, these peanut clusters rock. And they make A LOT. You could easily feed the entire neighborhood on one batch, or make yourself very, very sick.

I, um, have eaten too many. Much too many. It's Susan and Amie's fault. I had to change Susan's original recipe because I live in one of the few places in the world without a Walmart, and couldn't find Chocolate Bark. Nor did any of our grocery stores know what chocolate bark is/was. So I improvised, and am quite pleased with the results. My waistband, not so much...

The Ingredients.

3 (16-ounce) jars lightly salted roasted peanuts (lightly salted is important!)
2 (4-ounce) boxes German Baker's Chocolate
1 (8-ounce) box Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate (there are 2 in the picture. that was wrong.)
1 (24-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla (not pictured because I didn't know I wanted/needed it until after the photo)


The Directions.

Use a large crockpot. This makes about 150 peanut clusters. Spray the inside of your crock with cooking spray, and place the unwrapped baking chocolate, and bars of German chocolate in the bottom. Add all the peanuts. Pour in the chocolate chips, and add vanilla. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or high for about 1.5. While the chocolate is melting, lay out a bunch of parchment paper on your counter top or kitchen table. When time has elapsed, stir well, and remove from heat. Use a small ice-cream scoop to plop out bite-sized piles onto the parchment paper.

Let cool before eating---this takes a long time---hours. It'd be best to leave them overnight so you don't pick at them. Unless you have much more will power than I do, then I suppose it would be okay. But I sort of hate you.

Package up and give away as soon as possible.

The Verdict.

These are addictive. The chocolate flavor is quite rich, and tastes dark. If you aren't a fan of dark chocolate, use milk chocolate chips. The salt flavor from the nuts is subtle, but is there, and it makes your tongue itch for more.

and more.

Thank you again to Susan and Amie! Make sure to check out Amie's play-by-play peanut-cluster making video.


I was thinking about nut-allergies during the night. I think you should turn these into pretzel clusters. Definitely.

Slow Cooker Mexican Breakfast Casserole

We went to a museum opening last weekend, and my brother's mother-in-law, Shari (hi Shari!) told me that she had a breakfast casserole with green chiles that I should really make. She said she'd email me the recipe.
This isn't her recipe. She hasn't had the opportunity to email hers, and I didn't have the patience to wait, or the perseverance to bug her.
so I made this up.

I think she'd like it.

The Ingredients.
serves 8, easily.

corn tortillas (I didn't count them. Maybe I used 8? 7?)
8 eggs
2 cups fat free milk
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (7-ounce) can green chiles, drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tiny onion, diced
1 cup corn (I had leftover fresh corn from the weekend, but frozen would totally work)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart round slow cooker. Butter or Pam the inside of your stoneware. Put a layer of corn tortillas on the bottom---you may have to tear some to make them fit nicely.
In a very large mixing bowl, combine all of the other ingredients, and whisk together. Pour about 1/2 of the mixture into the slow cooker, on top of the tortillas. Put in another layer of tortillas, and top with the remaining egg/milk/cheese/other stuff mixture. Top with another layer of corn tortillas.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your cooker seals well (my 4-quart has a plastic lid, and a lot of condensation builds up), uncover 15-20 minutes before serving and cook on high to release condensation and to firm up the top a bit. You know your breakfast is done when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges have begun to brown and the cheese gets a bit crispy on the sides.
Adam really likes crispy cheese---the kids do not.

The Verdict.

I loved this. LOVED it. The chiles were not spicy in the slightest, and Adam added salsa to his bowl. The kids picked out the "green stuff" but ate the rest just fine. I served this for dinner a few days ago, and have been eating leftovers for breakfast and lunch the past 2 days.

If you don't have corn tortillas in the house, or would prefer to go another way, you can pour the egg mixture on top of a bag of frozen hashbrowns, just like I did in this recipe.

If you have sausage or other meat you'd like to add, go for it, but take out the salt, and season to taste at the table.

other great slow cooked breakfasts:

hashbrown casserole
overnight breakfast casserole
overnight breakfast sausage and potatoes
egg, feta, and mushroom casserole
overnight grits
pancakes
granola

Slow Cooker Ultimate Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Sometimes the very best food doesn't make a very good picture.

I'm totally okay with that.

This is a wonderful breakfast casserole----it has pretty much everything you can imagine in it, and I was very close to calling it "kitchen sink breakfast casserole," but the girls thought that was kind of weird.

So, it's the ULTIMATE.

can't get any better than that!

The Ingredients.
serves 10-12

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 cups toasted (or stale) bread cubes (I used Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free bread)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a 4 cheese Mexican blend)
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
8 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk (I used fat free cow's, any would work just fine)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. This makes a lot! Cook bacon to desired crispyness, and toast the bread. Set these aside. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray, and set that aside, too.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded cheese, mushrooms, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

Put the bread cubes into the bottom of your sprayed slow cooker, and pour the egg mixture evenly over the entire thing. Place bacon pieces on top.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until eggs have set, or on high for about 3-4 hours. When the eggs have completely set, and your casserole has begun to brown on top and pull away from the sides, take the lid off the cooker and let the steam and moisture evaporate for about 15 minutes before serving.

The Verdict.

Absolutely delicious!! Everyone in our house loved this casserole, and my grandma ate the leftovers and reported that they were wonderful.
This would be a welcome addition to a brunch, or to serve to overnight guests.

Leftovers for Breakfast Casserole Slow Cooker Recipe

I'm a hermit. Is it okay to be a hermit? I like to go for walks, and I certainly get enough Vitamin D by pulling weeds in the yard and hanging out at soccer practice, but if I had a choice I'd prefer to hang out at home in my jammies.

It's too bad WebVan went under. It'd be great to have milk, bananas, and orange juice delivered (why is it we're ALWAYS out of those things?).

And don't forget to bring fresh coffee.

There you go: that's a business venture to get behind! Breakfast delivery for lazy busy moms.

Or you could just load up the crockpot. it's probably easier.


The Ingredients.
serves 8

1 (30-ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups diced already-cooked meat (whatever leftovers you have in the house. Great way to use up shredded chicken, pot roast, corned beef, ham, turkey, or any combo you might have)
2 cups diced already-cooked veggies (asparagus, broccoli, roasted veggies, whatever)
8 eggs
1 cup milk (cow, soy, rice, goat)
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice, we usually have a combo of mozzarella and cheddar)
salt and pepper to taste at the table

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker and spray the insert with cooking spray. Dump the still-frozen hashbrowns into the pot. In a mixing bowl, whip together the eggs and milk and stir in your cut up veggies, meat, and cheese.
Don't season right now, because your meat and veggies will have whatever flavor they had when they were first cooked (and ham and corned beef tend to have a lot of salt taste already), but instead season at the table. Pour this mixture on top of the hashbrowns.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (it's exactly 7 in my elume) or on high for about 3-4. If you've never cooked breakfast overnight in your cooker, opt for the low end of the cooking time. You can always let it cook on high if it's not quite done in the morning, or let it happily sit on warm until you're wide awake and ready for breakfast.

Michelle says she can't cook food overnight, though, because the smell keeps her awake! I don't have a suggestion for that... sorry. :-)

The Verdict.

This is a GREAT way to use up extra food from having company over or food left from holiday dinners. I know some of you are uncomfortable not having an exact recipe to follow, and I get it. I really do.
I promise though, that there is little room for error when crockpotting. If you like the ingredients going in, they'll taste good mixed in a casserole. If you can't stand asparagus, please don't use it! Use what tastes good TO YOU.

I know, I know. I sound like SUCH a mom...!

more breakfast dishes for the all day jammy club:
Mexican Breakfast Casserole
Original Hashbrown Casserole
Breakfast Potatoes and Sausage
Egg, Feta, and Mushroom Casserole
Breakfast Risotto
Baked Oatmeal
Grits
Pancakes
Yogurt
Hardboiled Eggs (no! don't try these!)

Apple Coffee Cake-- made in the Slow Cooker

It's the Bunnykens dish set again! (side note: I really should take a run to the dollar store and get more unmatched dishes so I can post food pictures on the Internet.)

I really like baking in the slow cooker. I get it that this perhaps sounds a bit odd---- why should I bake something in the crockpot for 2 to 3 hours, when I can easily throw a pan in the oven and have coffee cake in only 30 minutes?

I'll tell you why. I'm bonkers.

I don't mean this in the clinical sense (although I'm sure some could argue otherwise), I mean it in the I'm always doing too many things at once and sitting around waiting for 30 minutes for a cake to rise and bake properly just isn't going to happen.

because the doorbell rings.

or the phone.

because the baby needs changing. 

or because she plays with a bottle of vanilla extract while "sorting" the spice cabinet and some spills and she licks it up and then her mom reads the bottle and finds out it's 26% pure alcohol and maybe-just-maybe over-reacts and calls poison control and talks to a really nice man named Michael who assures her that she's JUST FINE and that NO ONE likes the way that vanilla extract tastes and she surely couldn't have ingested very much.

or something like that.

SO! That is why I like baking in my slow cooker. I like the wiggle room. I like it that I can whip up the batter, wash the dishes, and leave the house to run a few errands or pull some weeds in the garden. I like that I know that when I start to smell the baked goods, there's no need to panic---it's not going to burn to a charred brick. I like that I can hold a baby on one hip while I check the baking process without worrying that she's going to lean in and burn her hand to a singed nub.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

coffee cake:

cooking spray

2 cups Bisquick mix (NOTE: if not GF, you can use AP flour, but a mix will provide the fluffiest result--I used Pamela's Baking Mix. There is a new GF Bisquick, though, at most grocery stores)

2/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2  apples, peeled, cored, diced (green is best, I had Fuji on hand)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

crumb topping:

1/4 Bisquick (or Pamela's, etc. see above notes)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

The Directions.

I used a 4-quart slow cooker with the batter directly in the crock (stoneware)  insert. If you only have a large 6-quart slow cooker, that's okay---put the dough into a loaf  pan and put that into the stoneware insert. No need to add water, just put the pan in the crock.

Spray your pan or 4-quart insert with cooking spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for your coffee cake. Stir with a rubber spatula--no need to break out the mixer. The batter will be thick and lumpy. Pour into your prepared stoneware insert (or baking pan).

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping and sprinkle evenly on top of the batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or until the cake browns and pulls away from the sides. Uncover the cooker and cook on high for another 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

The Verdict.

This is a perfect coffee cake: sweet, but not too sweet, moist and crumbly. I sometimes will make the batter the night before and then scrape it into the crock to bake while I get work done around the house before the rest of the house wakes up. I also love making this during the day as an after school snack. It freezes and reheats (in the microwave) beautifully--perfect for a busy morning.

more crockpot baking magic! 

banana bread

blueberry buckle

brownies in a mug

apple dumplings

perfect baked bread

pound cake

turtle pudding

shrinky dinks

salt dough ornaments

Quick and Easy Caramel Apple Cider CrockPot Recipe

A friend of mine treats her kids a few times a week to a caramel hot cider at Starbucks, and my kids are were jealous and kept bringing this up each time we drove by the strip mall.

So I evened the score. I made a boatload.

and the kids WERE THRILLED.

save yourself $3.50, and dig through the cupboards. You can do this. It's super easy.

The Ingredients.

serves 4, (can easily be multiplied --use a larger cooker though!)

4 cups apple cider

3 tablespoons caramel syrup (the ice cream topping)

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream (optional; I leave it off for my kids)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Now this is sweet---I've modeled it after the stuff they serve at the store. After making it this way a few times, I've successfully cut back on the syrup without my kids (and their friends!) knowing---do what is right for your own family.

Mix it all in together---stir, and cook on low for about 4 hours. I like to put it on after I clean up the breakfast dishes and then leave it alone until our after-school snack. I've also made a large pot for Girl Scout events and  playdates. The kids really like it, and it's a nice change of pace from hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Leftovers refrigerate and reheat well (in the microwave).

The Verdict.

The only drawback to this recipe is that when we have caramel sauce in the house, it tends to get everywhere. Chris always says that she has an eighth child named "Not Me" who is the main mischief-maker in her home. "Not Me" is evidently to blame for sucking syrup right out of the bottle and leaving sticky fingerprints all over my doorknobs and couch cushions.

hmmph.

other coffee-house copycat recipes:

peppermint mocha

gingerbread latte

pumpkin spice latte

chai tea latte

I've got a new interview with Erin Chase, the $5 Dinner Mom up on stephanieodeaTV. Erin is a great friend and a true mommy mogul. I appreciate the way Erin puts her family in front of her business and doesn't apologize for it. Ever. She's also got a brand new cookbook out!

have a great day!

2008 flashback:

January 16: chili and cheese afternoon snack

January 17: homemade chicken broth

January 18: salmon and green beans

January 19: sausage and veggie medley

January 20: lazy chicken

January 21: hot and spicy artichoke dip

January 22: company's coming potatoes augratin