Breakfast Casserole - Crockpot

I've found yet another Pinterest recipe that I altered and love.  This easily makes 8-10 servings, so it's not that great for just the two of us.  However, it freezes well and can be cut in half if you'd like.

1 lb crumble bacon or sausage or combo of both (I cheated and used precooked)
4 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or other
12 eggs, whisked
2 lbs shredded potatoes, I used preshredded from a bag and you can use frozen
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper

Start by spraying the crockpot or putting in your liner.  Layer in potatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper, with meat and cheese sprinkled on top.  Repeat the layers twice more.  In a bowl mix together the remaining ingredients and pouring over potato layers in the crockpot. 

Cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

If you like more egg in with the potatoes, add a couple more eggs or 1 cup of egg whites.

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pies

Ok, another steal and alter Pinterest recipe.

This one was amazing!  I'm not a fan of your typical chicken pot pie.  No, no, no!  Mushy peas and carrots with tiny chunks of chicken surrounded by dough is not my thing.  But I LOVE this recipe.

2 grilled or cooked chicken breasts, diced
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1/2 package of frozen broccoli, carrot and cauliflower mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper
1 can Homestyle biscuits (I used jumbo)
2/3 cup shredded cheese

Heat the oven to 400.  In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.  Make sure you've defrosted or thawed your veggies.  Using a muffin tin, spray one cup for each biscuit.  Pushing the biscuit into the greased muffin tins, press and pinch the dough forming a hallow cup and pushing the dough over the edges of the cup. 

Fill evenly each of the cups with the chicken mixture.  Pop in the heated oven for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. 

These are a full meal in themselves!

Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

I saw a picture of these on Pinterest and decided it was a must try.  I'm not unhappy about that decision either.  I'm not sure what the actual recipe is, but I'll give you mine.

1 package of egg roll wrappers
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 lb cooked, crumbled bacon (buy this by the bag at Costco if possible)

Brown the meat with a 1/4 tsp of each salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and any other season you enjoy in your burger.  Drain grease and set aside.

Laying out your egg roll wrappers, sprinkle generous helpings of bacon, cheese and meat into the center of the wrapper.  One lb of meat will make 12-15 egg rolls.  If you like onion on your burger, add diced onion to your mixture.

Once all ingredients are laid out, get a cup of water and pastry brush if you have it.  If you have no brush, your finger will work well.  One at a time, brush water about 1/2 inch along the outside edges of the wrapper.  Fold the top and bottom in 1/2-3/4" and then fold over one of the sides.  Press the edges gently, sealing them to the wrapper.  Gently roll the wrapper to the other side until it is completely sealed.  If the outside seam is not sealed, rub a little water on the outside of the seam, creating a sticky seal. 

After all the wrappers are sealed, heat a 1/2" of oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  Higher heat will cause the wrapper to burn quickly.  Fill the pan with egg rolls, flipping after the sides get golden brown. 

Serve with some pickle slices, mustard and ketchup or your favorite burger condiments.

This is a simple process that can be used for many things.  A super easy dessert idea is to use canned pie fillings, following the same process for chimichanga style pies.

Chocolate Oatmeal

It's been a while, hasn't it...

The last couple years have been full of new recipes, but no new posts.  Someone told me that the posts are boring without pictures, so I stopped posting.  My goal was to take pictures along the way.  But seriously...by the time you cook the meal, you're hungry and just want to eat it. Besides, I'm not the best food photographer.

So here is the first of a few new ones.  I may not always have pictures, but when I can I will.

This definitely tastes better than it looks.

Mix together in a bowl:

5 cups water
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder (I used Special Dark)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups oats (1 cup if using steel cut)

Whisk the ingredients together.  Using a crockpot liner or not, spray the inside or inside of bag with cooking spray.  This helps keep the oats from burning to the side and getting a bitter taste.  Pour mixture into the crockpot and cook for 8 hours on low.

In the morning, stir the oatmeal and add 1/2 cup hot water if the oatmeal is too thick.  This oatmeal does not come out super sweet, so the topping choices are endless.

Chocolate chips
Strawberries
Bananas
Pecans
Coconut
Any other item you love with chocolate...

This recipe will feed approximately 4 people.