Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (10 page)

Hot Wheatberry Cereal

Rosemarie Fitzgerald

Gibsonia, PA

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Soaking Time: 8 hours

Cooking Time: 10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1 cup dry wheatberries

5 cups water

butter

milk

honey

1. Rinse and sort berries. Cover with water and soak 8 hours in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low overnight (or up to 10 hours).

3. Drain, if needed. Serve hot with honey, milk, and butter.

Variation:

Eat your hot wheatberries with raisins and maple syrup as a variation.

Note:

Wheatberries can also be used in pilafs or grain salads. Cook as indicated, drain, and cool.

Mexican-Style Grits

Mary Sommerfeld

Lancaster, PA

Makes 10-12 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1½ cups instant grits

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 4-oz. cans diced chilies, drained

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, cut in chunks

1. Prepare grits according to package directions.

2. Stir in cheese, garlic powder, and chilies, until cheese is melted.

3. Stir in butter. Pour into greased slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours, or on Low 4-6 hours.

Cornmeal Mush

Betty Hostetler

Allensville, PA

Makes 15-18 servings

Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-7 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

2 cups cornmeal

2 tsp. salt

2 cups cold water

6 cups hot water

2 sticks (½ lb.) butter,
optional

1. Combine cornmeal, salt, and cold water in greased slow cooker.

2. Stir in hot water, stirring until well blended.

3. Cover. Cook on High 1 hour. Stir well. Cook on Low 3-4 hours. (Or cook on Low 5-6 hours, stirring once every hour during the first 2 hours.)

4. Serve hot with butter alongside for those who want to add a chunk to their individual servings. Or serve warm with milk and syrup.

Variations:

1. Pour cooked cornmeal mush into loaf pans. Chill until set (several hours or overnight). Cut into ½”-thick slices.

2. Dredge each slice in flour. Melt butter in large skillet. Fry slices in butter, being careful not to crowd the skillet or mush will steam and not brown. When the first side is well browned, flip each slice to brown the other side.

3. Serve slices for breakfast with maple syrup, bacon, sausage, or ham and eggs.

4. Mush is much like polenta. It is also delicious topped with chili for a lunch or supper.

Note:

When we lived on the farm, Mother would prepare boiled mush for the evening meal.

The rest she poured into pans and fried for supper the next evening. I adapted this recipe for the slow cooker several years ago when Mother was living with us and I needed to go to work.

Breakfast Apple Cobbler

Anona M. Teel

Bangor, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-9 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½- to 4-qt.

8 medium apples, cored, peeled, sliced

¼ cup sugar

dash of cinnamon

juice of 1 lemon

half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted

2 cups granola

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 7-9 hours (while you sleep), or on High 2-3 hours (after you’re up in the morning).

Hot Applesauce Breakfast

Colleen Konetzni

Rio Rancho, NM

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.

10 apples, peeled and sliced

½-1 cup sugar, according to the sweetness of the apples and your taste preference

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours (while you’re asleep?).

Serving suggestion: This is yummy over
oatmeal
or mixed with
vanilla yogurt
. Or serve it over
pancakes
or
waffles
.

Variation:

Add chopped nuts for an extra treat, either before cooking or before serving.

Breakfast Prunes

Jo Haberkamp

Fairbank, IA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 2-qt.

2 cups orange juice

¼ cup orange marmalade

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup water

12-oz. pkg. pitted dried prunes (1¾ cups)

2 thin lemon slices

1. Combine orange juice, marmalade, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and water in slow cooker.

2. Stir in prunes and lemon slices.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or overnight.

4. Serve warm as a breakfast food, or warm or chilled as a side dish with a meal later in the day.

Variation:

If you prefer more citrus flavor, eliminate the ground cloves and reduce the cinnamon to ½ tsp. and the nutmeg to ⅛ tsp.