There is something just absolutely wonderful about having breakfast already made when I awake in the morning. I love to go running and exercise in the mornings, and sometimes if I get a later start, it can be stressful to get something going after I exercise and before the children all wake up and begin to troop downstairs asking, "What's for breakfast?" (Or "what's for dinner?," as my 3-year-old always asks instead!)
I really prefer to cook a hot breakfast to just serving cold cereal for many reasons. Here are a few of my reasons for preferring to cook a nice hot breakfast. First of all, I love serving my family in this way. It is a way I can show them my love for them. Second, cold cereal tends to be expensive and full of ingredients I would rather avoid (sugar, for one). Third, I can add variety to our breakfasts. There are lots of recipes out there!
Lately, I have been cooking oatmeal in the crockpot overnight a couple of times per week. I have some recipes that make it flavorful, and it's pretty simple to prepare the night before, turn the pot on low and go to bed. When we wake up in the morning, the lovely smell of yummy oatmeal greets us!
My son planned last week's menu, and he found this recipe for a breakfast casserole that looked good. It was simple to make, tasty, and filling. Of course, for my large crew, I doubled this one. We had enough left over that a few of the children actually ate it for lunch. My oldest daughter told me that this was "seriously the best breakfast casserole I've ever tasted." I guess that's pretty good! This one is a keeper!
By the way, if you have really big eaters, this recipe could even be tripled and still fit in a 6-quart pot. I had plenty of room for one more recipe-worth. Another tip, I used the pre-cooked bacon, which made this even more simple to make! No bacon grease mess to clean up! Also, I skipped the mushrooms--my kids really don't like mushrooms. You could add other ingredients like diced sautéed onions and/or green bell peppers (sauté first) for added flavor. I didn't just because my children don't really like onions and green bell peppers either. But if I were making this for guests, I would make one crockpot full without the onions, etc. and one with.
Breakfast Skillet (Fix it and Forget it)
Makes 4 to 5 servings
3 cups milk
5.5 oz. package au gratin potatoes (the box, not frozen)
1 tsp. hot sauce
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
4-oz. can sliced mushrooms
8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1. Combine milk, au gratin sauce packet, hot sauce, eggs, and mustard in greased crockpot.
2. Stir in dried potatoes, mushrooms, and bacon.
3. Cover. Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on low 5-6 hours.
4. About 20 minutes before serving, sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover and cook until cheese melts (doesn't take too long).
Serving suggestion: serve along with toast or muffins!
Have a blessed Sunday!
Next up: adventures on the ranch! Yesterday we butchered and cleaned our first chicken (rooster) which will be our next slow-cooker meal!!
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