No one needs to be told the pace of living is just too fast. From the time the alarm clock (or the baby) starts the day, until bedtime, parents have a daunting number of things to attend to—rushing from jobs to games, lessons, and practices, then back home and ‘what-the-heck’s-for-supper’?
If you don’t already own a slow-cooker, think about investing in one. You won’t believe how many uses you will find for this inexpensive and indispensible kitchen appliance. If you have one, start using it more. The Internet has hundreds of free recipes. Since we are focusing on breakfast we chose three recipes that cook overnight while you sleep.
This won’t completely remedy your busy life but it can help slow things down a little, and put a nutritious breakfast on the table that will give your champions a flying start to their school day. If you are really short on time, use a crock pot disposable liner to spare yourself the clean up.
Deluxe Crockpot Oatmeal
- 2 C. cow’s milk, almond milk or coconut milk
- ¼ C. brown sugar
- 1 Tbs. melted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ to 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 C. oats (old-fashioned is best)
- 1 C. finely chopped apple
- ½ C. raisins, dates, dried cherries, or craisins
- ½ C. walnuts or almonds
Grease the inside of crockpot. Put ingredients inside crockpot and mix well. Cover and turn on low heat. Cook overnight or 8-9 hours. Stir before serving. Makes 4 Cups, or 6-8 servings.
Breakfast Cobbler
- 4 medium apples peeled and sliced
- ¼ Cup honey
- 2 Tbls. melted butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 C. granola cereal
Spray inside of Crock-Pot with nonstick spray. Place apples in slow cooker add in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours, or overnight. Serve with milk or a dollop of Greek yogurt. Real maple syrup can be substituted for the honey.
Overnight Egg Bake
- 32 oz. bag of frozen hash brown potatoes
- 1 lb. cooked ham, cubed
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 chopped green bell pepper
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 ½ Cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ tsp. salt and pepper
eggs, milk and seasonings until well mixed. Pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours, until casserole is set and eggs are thoroughly cooked. Check the temperature of the eggs to be sure it’s done.
If you have a new, hotter cooking crockpot, you’ll need to check this after 6 hours and it will probably be done after 7 hours. Eggs should reach a temperature of 160° to 165°.