Slow Cooker Breakfast

Last week, I posted a picture of the Breakfast Burritos I made in the CROCK-POT!  My friend Lesley sent me this recipe to help me with breakfast time.  I am thinking I can make it into a two time Crock-Pot recipe for the show barn.  Cook it ahead and freeze and then warm them back up in the crock pot for a quick, easy to grab and go breakfast after chores are done.  I will admit that I didn't follow the recipe very closely and used diced hashbrowns.  I use the tortillas from Dollar Tree that are a bit small, but just right for what I usually need for breakfast.

Lesley is active in the Kansas AgriWomen and is a recent graduate of the KARL leadership program here in Kansas.  I have tried to get her to start to her own blog, but she is still dragging her feet.  Maybe we can get her to share more recipes with us instead.-A Kansas Farm Mom

Slow Cooker Sausage Breakfast Casserole or Burrito Filling

1 pkg. (26-32 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 

1 pkg. of Sausage (cooked) 

2 cup (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese 

½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese 

½ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained or I cup chopped fresh tomatoes

6 green onions, sliced 

12 eggs 

½ cup of milk 

½ teaspoon of salt 

¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper 

1. Cook sausage. 

2. Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and/or line with a liner bag. Layer ½ of the potatoes on the bottom of slow cooker. 

3. Top with half of the sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes and green onion. Repeat layering of hash browns, sausage, cheese, tomatoes and onion. 

4. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. 

5. Pour evenly over potato-sausage mixture. 

6. Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or on HIGH setting for 4 hours or until eggs are set. 

Yield: 12 servings (about 1 cup each)

I use different meats, depending on what I have in my fridge (bacon, sausage, ham). You can also use regular tomatoes (about 1 cup) and any other vegetables, such as peppers and onions you'd like. We eat the casserole as casserole -- most of the time -- and I usually set out shells, salsa, sour cream, more cheese when we have company over, for those who would want to eat it as a breakfast burrito instead. If I have leftovers, I'll roll the casserole up in the shells and put them in aluminum foil in a ziploc bag and freeze them for a quick breakfast burrito later on. 

 I cook the casserole on low for 8 hours -- I turn it on right before bed -- and I don't stir it or anything during the process, just sleep, so when I get up in the morning and smell the goodness - it's just one less thing to do for breakfast!

Pecan Rolls

My family loves Pecan Rolls.  My kids have helped my father in law pick up pecans for the last 3 weeks.  I have no idea how many pounds of pecans they have to pick out, but I do know that I have all the pecans I could want to cook with.  I also know the boys are selling them if you need some. 

When I saw the post by Jessica Wilcox about Pecans and Christmas, I knew I had to make these rolls, but I am lazy when it comes to bread dough.  I went through my cookbooks to find a bread machine recipe for the dough.  Her family's filling and topping looked too good not to try, so here is 2 recipes put together to make some absolutely amazing Pecan Rolls that my 7 year old could do  pretty much did all by himself.

So Easy A Kid can Make them Pecan Rolls

1 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages (1/4 ounce) quick active dry yeast

Place above ingredients in bread machine in order recommended by the machine manufacturer (mine says liquids first and yeast last).  Select dough cycle.  Remove dough from pan, place on lightly floured surface, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Pan Glaze:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1+cups pecan halves

Mix glaze ingredients and then spread in 9 by 13 inch baking pan.  Place pecan halves top side down into caramel topping.

Roll Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Roll dough into roughly a 20x16 inch rectangle.  Spread roll filling ingredients over dough.  Roll up dough starting with the long side.  Cut dough into 12 pieces.  Dental floss works amazingly well to cut dough and allows it to keep its nice round shape.  Place rolls on top of pan glaze.  Cover with a lint free towel and let rise 35 to 45 minutes.  The rolls should double in size.

Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes.  Place a serving tray, cookie sheet or jelly roll pan on top of the baked rolls.  Carefully, flip the pan over and remove so that the bottom of the rolls is now the top and you can see those beautiful pecans. 

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk or Jent's mom's top secret hot chocolate.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Trail Mix Bars

We just finished up with the county fair.  I firmly believe that everyone should learn how to cook and bake.  My boys worked hard this year and got blue ribbons on everything they made.  My youngest loves to cook, bake and even tried his hand at canning this year.  We loved everything they made and I gained several pounds taste testing for them even though I voluntarily walked the 4-H lambs for them.  :) 

This recipe was a combination of 3 recipes that he and I put together to make these yummy bars.  They make a great snack or quick breakfast.

A Kansas Farm Mom Trail Mix Bars

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup cheerios

1 cup coconut

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup peanuts

1 cup chocolate coated candies, plain or peanut

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1½ cups peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients; set aside.  In a saucepan, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil, stir frequently.  Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla.  Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat.  Spread evenly into a greased 15x10 inch baking pan.  Cool. Cut into bars.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Breakfast Hash

Thanks for my friend Beth Gaines for providing this What's For Dinner Wednesday.  I am super busy keeping up with my kids and all the new calves that are being born.  It's great to have friends that help out when I am busy!  And this lady knows what busy is with 3 kids in sports and 4-H and she is foster mom to a litter of piglets and a bottle lamb.  

Farm family breakfasts can be big deals – or no big deals.  This dish totally falls in the latter category. I grew up eating this hearty, one-dish breakfast as a kid – and now my kids do too.  Its name is nothing special.  In fact, it’s downright humble.  We call it “hash.”  And raising a few pigs – we love the fact that it includes ham.

This breakfast hash is not the kind of corn-beef or red flannel hash that has southern roots – but it’s good all the same.  The ingredients are few – and often on hand – and leftovers work great.

You’ll need:

1 package frozen hasbrowns.  Mr. Dell’s are my favorite.  If you like onions and peppers – the O’brien style are great – although my family is not a fan.

Chopped ham.  This is where the left-0ver part comes in. About 2 cups.

6 eggs – whisked together like scrambled eggs.

Salt and pepper to taste.

I like to use a large non-stick skillet.  Add about ¼ cup of oil in pan and turn up heat.  Add hasbrowns and cook till beginning to brown and crisp.  ( I usually throw these in and go about the morning routine – checking them ever so often.  Generally takes 10-15 minutes  for the frozen hasbrowns  to cook.)

Add the ham and cook till warm.  Once done – add the eggs.  I like to make a well in the middle of the hasbrowns and let the eggs set a  little bit before stirring them throughout the pan.

Cook until the eggs are done – and no longer wet.  About five minutes or so.

Top with shredded cheese or ketchup.  Yumm!  A hot, hearty, one-pan breakfast with no fuss!!

Enjoy!  From our farm to your home!!

Thanks so much to Beth and her family!  Beth and her son Kyle also shared his recipe for Easy, Beefy, Cheesy Burritos last summer when I was busy with wheat harvest.

-A Kansas Farm Mom