serves 8
The Ingredients
1 (30-ounce) bag frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups diced cooked meat (I’ve used chicken, beef, corned beef, ham, and a combination—it’s all good)
2 cups diced cooked vegetables (broccoli, peppers, carrots, or the like)
8 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice!)
salt and pepper to taste at the table
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the frozen hash browns into your slow cooker. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the meat, vegetables, eggs, milk, and cheese. Pour the mixture on top of the potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
The Verdict
This is so easy to throw together, and uses up the contents from all those little Tupperwares floating around at the back of the fridge by the end of the week. I like to make this casserole after family holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving. Even though the main leftover ingredients (corned beef and turkey) taste completely different, the casseroles always turn out excellent.
serves 10
The Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup brown rice
¼ cup quinoa
1 cup rolled oats (I use gluten-free certified oats)
1 cup steel cut oats (I use gluten-free certified oats)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced (I didn’t peel)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ to ⅓ cup brown sugar (start with the smaller amount and add more to taste)
10 cups water
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Butter the inside of your stoneware insert. Rinse the brown rice and quinoa thoroughly in cool running water, and dump into the buttered crock. Add both kinds of oats, the diced apples, vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour in all 10 cups of water. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, on high for about 4, or until the brown rice is completely tender. Take the lid off of your cooker and stir very well. Unplug, and let the porridge sit in the cooling slow cooker for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Add additional brown sugar, if desired, to taste at the table.
The Verdict
This is a great breakfast to energize your day. Quinoa, steel cut oats, and brown rice have all been deemed “super foods,” and are packed with fiber and nutrients. I can find certified gluten-free oats at Whole Foods, and I also buy them in bulk through Amazon.com. Even when purchasing the higher-priced gluten-free ingredients, this breakfast works out to well under $1 a serving. The leftovers freeze and reheat beautifully.
serves 4
The Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats (mine were certified gluten-free)
4 cups water
¼ cup milk, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
butter to grease pan
diced fresh fruit (optional)
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker and an inserted 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, water, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the oat mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Place the loaf pan into your slow cooker, and add water around the base of the loaf pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the pan, taking care not to slosh water into your oatmeal.
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or until the oatmeal has set. Spoon into serving dishes, and add diced fresh fruit and additional milk, if desired.
The Verdict
This is a very basic steel cut oats recipe, and I love that it can cook overnight. Steel cut oats, a fantastic source of whole grain soluble fiber, are a great way to start a busy day. It’s hard to believe how soft and tender these oats become since the raw pieces are so coarse and gravel-like.