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.

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.