Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (5 page)

APPLE BUTTER

makes approximately
10
cups

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. This is a two-day process. Peel, core, and quarter each apple. Put the apples into your crock, and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When the cooking is done, mash the apples with a fork. Stir in the sugars, cinnamon, and cloves. Cover again and cook on low for 6 hours. If you prefer your apple butter to be velvety-smooth, blend with a handheld immersion blender, or in small batches in a traditional blender.

APPLE OATMEAL

serves
2

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Put the oats, chopped apple (I didn’t peel it), and milk into the stoneware. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, or on high for 1 to 2 hours. Check the consistency of the oats—some people like them chewy and some don’t. Garnish with the cinnamon, if using. My oatmeal cooks perfectly on high for 1 hour, 15 minutes. It’s creamy and milky, and the kids gobble it right up. I sometimes mix the ingredients in a bowl the night before, and then add them to the crock in the morning when I first wake up.

BAKED OATMEAL

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the dry ingredients into the stoneware, and add the dried fruit, milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 hours, checking after 90 minutes. The oatmeal is done when the edges are brown and are beginning to crust, the center is set, and a knife inserted comes out clean. Let it sit in the cooling cooker for at least an hour before attempting to cut it. The longer you let it sit, the more set and brownie-like the pieces will be.

The Verdict

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 years ago. If you think your family will meet this with resistance, start with a full cup of brown sugar (no need to double the butter, there’s plenty of moisture) and then cut sugar content back each time you make it. You can sneak in nuts (ground or whole), extra grains, fresh and dried fruit, and protein powder. The flavor is sweet, and it tastes like a huge oatmeal cookie. I like mine heated with morning coffee, Adam likes his crumbled in yogurt, and the kids enjoy munching on it throughout the day.

BREAKFAST RISOTTO

serves
4
to
5

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Turn your cooker to high and add the butter so it can begin melting. Wash and cut up the apples (I didn’t peel them). Set aside. 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, spices, and salt. Stir in the juice and milk. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 5 hours, or on low for 6 hours or so.

The Verdict

Oh my, this is delicious. The kids both had three small bowls, and I had more than I probably should have. It was very tasty. We added a touch more brown sugar at the table and sprinkled on some dried cranberries. The kids decided this was porridge and did a whole Bear and Goldilocks routine. My part was to sit on the couch and eat—good deal.

EGG, FETA, AND MUSHROOM BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Sauté the mushrooms and bell pepper in a large-ish frying pan over medium heat in a bit of olive oil or butter (I used butter) until they are wilted and tender. Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray, and add the sautéed mushrooms, bell pepper, and any mushroom juice. Crumble in the entire block of feta cheese. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Add the pepper to the eggs and mix. Pour the eggs on top of the feta and veggies. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or until eggs have fully set and begun to brown on the top and pull away from the sides.

GRANOLA

serves
12

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put all the dry ingredients into the stoneware. Add the honey and butter. Toss well.

Cover, but vent with a chopstick. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every so often. If you can smell the granola cooking, give it a 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. It’s seven. I’ve burned at least seven batches in the oven, ugh.)

Cool the granola on a sheet of parchment paper. Eat with milk like cereal, warmed with milk like oatmeal, or as is. Store in an airtight container or in a ziplock freezer bag. Granola freezes well.

Note:
If you use this amount of honey and butter, the granola will be cereal-like, and not trail mix-like. If you’d rather have the granola clump together in pieces, you’ll need to use ¾ cup of both the honey and butter.

HASH BROWN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

serves
6
to
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray. Dump in the whole package of hash browns. Spread them out with your fingers to break up any clumps. In a mixing bowl, combine the 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 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. The casserole 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.

MEXICAN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of your stoneware with cooking spray. 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 one-half of the mixture into the stoneware, on top of the tortillas. Put in another layer of tortillas, and top with the remaining egg mixture. Top with another layer of corn tortillas. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. If your slow cooker seals well (my 4-quart has a plastic lid, and a lot of condensation builds up), uncover 15 to 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.

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, and ate leftovers for breakfast and lunch for the next two days. If you have sausage or other meat you’d like to add, go for it, but omit the salt, and season to taste at the table. 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 hash browns.

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

serves
6
to
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put vegetables, if using, and diced potato (I didn’t peel them) into the stoneware. Add the sausage. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, and cheese together, and pour on top of the other ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. The casserole is finished when the eggs are fully cooked and the edges have begun to brown.

The Verdict

This tastes good, and cooks perfectly, but please note that eggs lose a bit of color when slow cooked. This is an easy meal to serve at an early morning breakfast, or to have available for overnight guests to serve themselves.