Читать книгу The Slow Cooker Cookbook: 75 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes for Slow Cooked Meals - Rockridge Press - Страница 7

WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST?

You can use a slow cooker for anything, including breakfast. It’s easy to have a hearty breakfast when you just put the ingredients in the cooker and go to bed. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have a delicious hot breakfast waiting for you.

You can also use the cooker for brunch, easily crossing one more thing off your list.

Classic Strata

With layers of eggs and bread, this makes a hearty meal that is perfect for brunch or just early morning company. This recipe is pretty basic, but feel free to add whatever you like to the mix. Vegetables, herbs, and spices all work well here. Use your imagination and you’ll be creating new favorites before you know it.

6 to 8 cups torn bread, preferably stale3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded3 cups milk

6 eggs2 drops hot sauceSalt, to taste

Grease the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray, butter, or oil.

Cover the bottom of the cooker with bread. Sprinkle with a layer of cheese.

Layer the bread and cheese until all you have left is a little bit of cheese for the top.

Whisk the milk, eggs, and hot sauce with a pinch of salt. Pour into slow cooker, and push it down to make sure it becomes saturated. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the strata is cooked through. Remove the lid, and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

Serves 8.

Sausage and Potato Casserole

This makes a delicious and filling breakfast but can also be a perfect light meal when you don’t want something hearty but still want dinner to be ready when you get home. Feel free to add your choice of vegetables or spices to perk up this dish.

1 pound sausage1 medium onion, chopped1 pound potatoes, shredded2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, optional6 large eggs1 cup milk½ cup mayonnaise

Grease the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray, butter, or oil.

Chop the sausage into bite-sized pieces, and add to the slow cooker along with the onions, potatoes, and half the cheese.

Whisk the eggs, milk, and mayo in a medium bowl, and pour the mixture into the cooker. Cover with the rest of the cheese.

Cover the pot and cook on high for about 3 hours or until the casserole has puffed and the cheese is slightly browned.

Allow to rest for 20 minutes and serve.

Serves 8.

Spicy Pears with Cranberries

Sometimes you just want something sweet alongside your Paleo-friendly omelet. These poached pears fit the bill nicely, and they reheat well if you’d like to make a large batch to eat during the week.

8 firm pears, such as Bosc, peeled and cored1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons coconut oil1/2 cup raw honey1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

Slice a very thin slice from the bottom of each pear to help the fruit stand upright.

In a small dish or bowl, combine the cinnamon and nutmeg, and sprinkle over the pears. Place the pears upright in the slow cooker.

Combine the coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat just until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture over the pears, then add cranberries to the slow cooker, distributing them evenly around the pears.

Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours. To serve, place a pear on a small plate, spoon cranberries around it, and drizzle a little of the cooking liquid over the top.

Serves 8.

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Nothing is better at the beginning of a long day than this hot oatmeal, cooked to perfection. It’s so easy, you’ll find yourself doing it often. It cooks while you sleep, allowing you to have a fast and healthy breakfast on the go.

3 cups rolled oats (not the quick-cooking variety)

7 cups waterPinch of salt

Grease the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray, butter, or oil.

Put the oats, water, and salt in pot and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve with milk, fruit, and your choice of accompaniments.

Serves 8.

Baked Potato Soup