Breakfast in the crockpot?

[CJNeeley]

I'm pregnant can stand the smell of food cooking but am getting to the end of being able to eat cold cereal, bagels, banana bread, etc all the time. Hubby has no problem cooking breakfast on the weekends or even days off but doesn't have time to during the work week. Are there some meal ideas I can cook in the crockpot (so I can be in another room while it cooks) that can be started before I go to bed or at least can be assembled in the pot and turned on in the morning when hubby starts the coffee pot?

Thanks soooooo much for any helpful ideas, CJ

[HydeParkB]

Well, I haven't tried any of these, but maybe you could and report back to us.

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/0/58053

http://www.recipezaar.com/r/225/84

[VikingKvinna]

Check out www.justslowcooking.com for lots of crockpot recipes, breakfast included. Not sure what kind of breakfasts you like, but I've done oatmeal in the crockpot (comes out very creamy and thick, like an old porridge of yore, or what I imagine porridge of yore to be like! ) and I know you can do those breakfast casseroles, too.

Another idea -- would your DH be open to the idea of doing some freezer cooking on his days off? He could do breakfast burritos or breakfast sandwiches (on English muffins or biscuits), or waffles/pancakes. All of these things freeze well, and can be popped in the microwave or toaster oven to reheat.

HTH!
~Nick

ETA: Wouldn't "Porridge of Yore" be an excellent name for a punk band? :LOL

[oceanbaby]

Nick - Could you please share how you made creamy oatmeal in the crockpot? I've tried several times, and each times it has been a gummy yucky mess. Thanks!

[VikingKvinna]

Originally Posted by oceanbaby

Nick - Could you please share how you made creamy oatmeal in the crockpot? I've tried several times, and each times it has been a gummy yucky mess. Thanks!

Oh dear, I just followed one of the recipes on that website. IIRC (and this is a big IF), it was oatmeal, (soy)milk, butter, cinnamon, apple, raisins...I think that's it. I've only done it a few times myself, and I was surprised at how not like regular oatmeal it was. I'm sorry I don't have any more tips! Maybe cooking it on low (if you didn't already?) or for a shorter period? That would be my guess (and again, JUST a guess) as to why it'd be gummy.

Sorry I can't be more help!

~nick

[MamaAcorn]

We love this oatmeal recipe:

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1/2 cup half-and-half

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.
Stir and remove to serving bowls. This method works best if started before you go to bed. This way your oatmeal will be finished by morning.

We usually add stuff to it in the morning, brown sugar and bananas is my personal favorite.

[lenore80]

This deserves to be bumped up! I tried MamaAcorn's recipe, and DH loved it. I think my crockpot is a little bit hotter than most though, since it was ready at 4.5 hours!

The first time I tried it, I didnt use the steel oats. : My local Meijer's does not carry a wide variety of whole foods. : It didnt work out too well with the rolled oats, but I bought the steel oats and it was wonderful! The half & half made it so creamy.

[Tanibani]

I bought a crock pot months ago and it's still sitting in my garage, waiting for me...

I'm DYING to cook some yummy breakfast stuff.

:

I'll be checking out those links. Thanks!

[mz_libbie22]

Originally Posted by lenore80

This deserves to be bumped up! I tried MamaAcorn's recipe, and DH loved it.

I tried that recipe too and also loved it it was the first time I've had steel cut oatmeal and I was surprised at the natural sweetness it seems to have. Usually I feel like I have to use half a pound of sugar on my oatmeal to make it edible, but not that time. Thanks for the great recipe MamaAcorn

I would love more breakfast crockpot recipes, especially meatless ones.

[CJNeeley]

Yeah, MamaAcorn's is actually the only one we've had work overnight (plus the kids ate it like crazy, ds1 had 2 bowls and ds2 had thirds!). All the other '8-10 hr' recipes we've tried from the websites have been dried out and or gummy at 5-6 hrs (when hubby would get up).

Is there some trick to figuring out how much liquid to add for a specific number of hours in the crockpot? We have an old vintage hand-me down crockpot so there is no little booklet on it or anything (not sure if those tell these types of things anyway) but it doesn't have a removable cooking dish thing either so I don't know if that's the problem since maybe it gets hotter being attached to the heating portion. : So how do you know how long to cook something in a crockpot? Is there some sort of method for converting regular stove or oven recipes to crockpot ones? Breakfast has (mostly) been a disaster in it for us so far.

[Yin Yang]

Wow, I think I amgoing to buy a crockpot now! My mom makes rice "poridge" in her crockpot. She puts brown rice and lots of water, not sure what the exact ration is, I think it's 1:6 and cooks it all night and it comes out sooooo goooood in the morning! You can just put nuts and maple syrup over it or some veggies even.......yummy!

Oatmeal sounds so good too.

if it comes out to dry you just have to put more water IMO.

Cathe's new book has some recipes like that in it!

[lenore80]

I forgot to report that I tried the tator tot/egg/ham dish in a crockpot. It was a COMPLETE disaster. I didn't have enough liquid in there, and it started burning after a few hours. This was the first time I ever burned anything in a crockpot.

Burned eggs is a very bad thing.

[applejuice]

How about millet...or oatmeal?

[tessamami]

I've got my oatmeal cooking in my crockpot now

I've also got a bread maker, and a pressure cooker - I just dream of the day when I can have a soup in the pressure cooker, stew in the crockpot, and freshly made bread, and why not a salad, too?

It could happen, right?

[Porphy]

Ok for those who made MamaAcorn's slow cookin' oatmeal, what size slow cooker are you using. I want to make some oatmeal in mine but it is 6qt and the last time I tried an oatmeal recipe (mind you a much different one with a little less liquid) it was mostly burned mush in the morning

I have all the ingredients so I might just try it tonight and see...

[Yin Yang]

Porphy ~ here is a recipe from a Slow cooker cookbook:

Old-Fashioned Apple-Raisin Oatmeal
for 3 1/2 to 4 quart cooker
cook time 6 hours
setting: Low

1 1/2 cups rolled (old-fashioned) oats
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 medium size cooking apple, cored, peeled and shredded
3 tbsp raisins
1/2 cup granola, or to taste

1.combine all the ingredients except the granola in a lightly oiled slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
2.To serve, spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with granola.

To make this at 6 quart slow cooker you need to increase the quantity by one-half.

if you wanna do only plain oatmeal then use 1 cup oats with 4 cups of water.

[Porphy]

I can't get it to work! I really want some slow cooked oatmeal. Ok so I put 4 cups of water .5cup of half and half and 1 cup of steel cut oats in the slow cooker, put it on low and 7.5 hours later...

I get a pot that has boiled over, burnt to the sides and a soupy mush that doesn't look like oatmeal. So disappointed. I can't figure why it would boil over it didn't even half fill my pot, of course maybe it gets too hot then...

Ok next I try Yin Yang's recipe, increased by a half. If that doesn't work I'm gonna contemplate a smaller crock pot. We really don't need 6qt but MIL bought us the biggest for a wedding shower gift.

[Yin Yang]

if you use steel cut oats use 5 cups of water for 1 cup of oats. It sounds like your cooker is too hot.