Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole with Spinach, Mushrooms and Peppers

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Makes 6-8 servings


4 cups cooked cubed potatoes (I had leftover baked potatoes that I just cubed, skin and all)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups fresh spinach leaves (they shrink down so much so use more than you think you need)
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained (or you can use cubed ham or bacon or whatever you want)
6 eggs 
1/4 cup milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground mustard
1-2 Tbsp Thrive freeze-dried onions
Handful of Thrive freeze-dried red bell pepper or green pepper
Salt and pepper
Salsa


1.  Spray the inside of a 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Use a foil collar on the hot spot of your slow cooker.
2.  Place potatoes on bottom of cooker.  Salt and pepper.
3.  Sprinkle mushrooms and spinach on top of potatoes.
4.  Top with sausage, peppers and onions. (you don't have to re-hydrate the veggies)
5.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, garlic powder and ground mustard together.  Salt and pepper the eggs.  Pour over the top of the sausage.
6.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs.
7.  Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours or on LOW for about 4.  Scoop out and serve with salsa.

Review:
I served this hearty breakfast casserole for dinner.  It hit the spot...there were so many layers and delicious ingredients.  This would be great for a brunch or Christmas morning or as I served it--for dinner.  Feel free to add in whatever veggies you want.  3 1/2 stars

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

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Makes 4-6 servings

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into chunks

8 oz cooked ham, sausage or kielbasa (use what you prefer and what you have on hand)

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 1/4 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1/4 tsp ground red pepper (more if you like it hot)

1/4 tsp dried ground thyme

1 tsp dried parley flakes

1 tsp minced garlic

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

2 Tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper

2 1/2 cups hot cooked rice (I used brown rice)

1.  Add the chicken, ham or sausage, tomatoes, onion, water, bouillon, oregano, Cajun seasoning, red pepper, thyme, parsley, garlic, bay leaf, tapioca and tomato paste to the slow cooker.  Stir to combine.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in rice.  Adjust seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

Recipe adapted from Crockpot Tuesdays.

Review:

I have a new way of deciding if I like a recipe or not:  if the leftovers get eaten and how fast.  This recipe seemed tasty enough the day of...probably a 3 star recipe.  As the leftovers sat in my fridge over several days it seemed less and less appetizing.  I don't know if I really like jambalaya all that much to begin with.  I don't think I do.  Maybe I've never had really great jambalaya.  Maybe I don't really like spicy things.  Anyhow, it's an okay recipe.  There are many that are far better.  2 stars.

Ham Leftovers!

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Ham and Swiss Frittata

Did you have some delicious ham for Easter dinner?  If you have leftovers check out all the recipes I've done that have ham in them for some menu planning ideas!

Slow Cooker Cuban-style Black Bean Soup

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Makes 6 servings


1/2 lb dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
3 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 smoked ham hock, rinsed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lime juice
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
Optional toppings:  cilantro, sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, green onions etc.


1.  Place water, black beans, bay leaf and ham hock in slow cooker.  Cover and cook until beans are tender, about 8 hours on LOW or 5 hours on HIGH.
2.  Discard bay leaf.  Transfer ham hock to cutting board , shred into bite size pieces and add back into slow cooker (discard the fat, bone and skin).
3.  Add the oregano, cumin, garlic powder, lime juice, salt and tomato sauce to the slow cooker.  Taste test and adjust seasonings accordingly.
4.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with desired toppings.

Review:

I've never bought ham hocks before or used them in a recipe.  I was a little grossed out when I saw the package.  But after reading about how smoked ham hocks can add a nice flavor to soups I decided to give them a try.  It did indeed add a nice, smoky flavor to the black beans.  I wanted to add in sauteed onions, green peppers and garlic at the end when I added the spices but I was too hungry and decided it was good enough as is.  If you want to bump up the flavor add in sauteed veggies at the end and I'm sure it would be awesome.  Or add in freeze dried veggies from Shelf Reliance as they cook so quickly there is no need to saute.  I also liked that the beans were able to cook well without any soaking the night before.  This recipe has very little prep and would be good if you're in a hurry in the morning.  Not to mention that it cooks for a good 8-10 hours while you're away.  When I ate the leftovers the next day I topped it with diced tomatoes and avocados and it was so delicious!  I love having yummy leftovers for lunch.  3 1/2 stars.

More info about hamhocks from myrecipes.com:

Ham hock is the lower hind leg of a hog, and you’ll usually find it cured, smoked, or both. Most commonly, it’s used to add smoky, salty flavor to soups and stews. In place of 1 smoked ham hock, substitute 4 ounces of any of the following: chopped salted pork (2-4 ounces of this one), chopped smoked bacon, chopped smoked ham, cured smoked hog jowl or guanciale, smoked bacon, smoked sausage, smoked turkey drumsticks, or one ham bone. 

Potato and Ham Soup with Barley and Mushrooms

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Makes 6 servings


1 lb red potatoes, cubed
1 lb fully cooked ham, cubed
6-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup pearl barley (not quick cooking)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 small onion, minced
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp beef bouillon granules or 1 tsp Shirley J beef bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Combine potatoes, ham, mushrooms, barley, garlic, onion, water, bay leaf, thyme, basil and bouillon in a medium to large slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, until potatoes are tender and barley is cooked through.
3.  Remove bay leaf.  Salt and pepper to taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.

Review:
Talk about a loaded soup...potatoes, ham, mushrooms and barley.  This was a hearty but somewhat healthy recipe.  My family all actually really liked this and ate it until it was gone.  My husband and I looked at our kids slurping their bowls down and just had a small moment of "I'm so proud of our kids, they're eating mushrooms and barley!"  It was awesome.  If you have leftover ham lying around this is a good recipe to use it with.  4 stars.

Slow Cooker Ham and Swiss Frittata

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Makes 6 servings

6 eggs, lightly beaten

Salt and Pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 or 3 mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided

3/4 cup - 1 cup cubed ham

1 small tomato, diced

Bacon bits, optional

Salsa, optional

1.  In an oven-safe dish that fits in a large slow cooker, combine the eggs, garlic, mushrooms, 1/2 cup of Swiss, ham and tomato.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir until combined.

2.  Sprinkle the rest of the Swiss cheese on top.  Sprinkle with bacon bits, if desired.

3.  Place dish inside slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 90 minutes to 2 hours.

4.  Slice and serve with salsa

Review:

Because I had so much success with this other frittata I wanted to try another version.  I loved the ham and Swiss combo.  My kids loved this as well.  This was our dinner but you could definitely make it for breakfast or brunch too.  4 stars.

Slow Cooker Ham, Bean and Lentil Soup

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Makes 6 servings

1 (14.5 oz) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup lentils

2 cups cubed ham

5 cups water

3 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 1 1/2 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

1 bay leaf

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1.  Place beans, lentils, ham, water, bouillon, celery, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf into slow cooker.

2.  Place onion, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, ground mustard and chili powder in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 4-5 minutes, stirring every minute, until onions are soft.  Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.

3.  Cover and cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours.  Pepper to taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.

Review:

This was a chunky broth soup.  I loved all the beans, lentils, ham and celery chunks.  Mine was perfectly seasoned at the end of cook time and didn't need anything else.  This is a great recipe to use with leftover ham.  3 stars.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup in the slow cooker

Makes 6-8 servings

5 cups water

4 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 2 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

1/2 cup diced onion (frozen is fine)

1/2 cup diced celery

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (frozen is fine)

1 1/2 cups ham cubes

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1.  Add water, bouillon, onion, celery, chicken, ham, tarragon, basil and garlic powder to the slow cooker.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

3.  Prepare a roux.  Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add  flour very slowly while whisking it in to the butter.  Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup.  Stir until thickened.  Then add in another 2 cups of soup and stir until smooth.  Add all back into the slow cooker and stir.  Season to taste.

4.  Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and top with shredded Swiss cheese.

Review:

Chicken cordon bleu can be challenging even for students in online cooking schools, but this recipe makes it easy. I saw a recipe in a magazine for "Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup."  I instantly thought I need to make that in the slow cooker.  Well I have no idea where the magazine went but the thought stayed with me and I created this recipe.  

It was very flavorful, thanks to the ham.  My kids slurped their bowls down (my daughter literally got a straw and used it to drink the broth and all). I was totally shocked because they usually don't love when I make soup.  I think they appreciated the ham cubes and cheese.  

My issue with this recipe is that it turned out not really as a cream soup but not as a broth-y soup either.  I think I should have added more flour in with the roux to make it a bit heftier.  It tasted great but the consistency was a bit weird.  So add maybe 1/4 cup more flour in when you're adding the cups a soup...stir until nice and smooth.  I think that should help things out a bit.  Another thought I had was that cubed red potatoes would be really delicious to add to this soup as well (not really part of the chicken cordon bleu dinner but this would add some nice texture and taste to the soup).  4 stars.

Easter...oops!

Pin It I just got back from a beautiful Caribbean cruise and totally forgot about posting Easter crockpot ideas.  I'm sure many of you have leftover ham and have some great recipe ideas to use with it.  If so, leave a comment of a link of where to find the great recipe or the recipe itself.  As for me and my house, we don't eat ham all the much (Greg...not a big a fan) but I do have one great slow cooker ham recipe.  It's a soup.  But if your weather is in anyway like the weather here...soup is not a problem.  Even in Maypril.  (Boo!  Hence, the cruise)

Ham and Bean Soup

Day 315: Ham and Bean Soup

Pin It 1 pound mixed dry beans

Ham bone
1 1/2 cups ham, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, sliced or chopped
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup tomato juice
6 cups water
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Place beans in sauce pan. Cover with 6 cups water and soak overnight. Drain the liquid. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 9-11 hours or 5-6 hours on HIGH. Remove bay leaf and ham bone before serving. Makes 10 servings.


Review:
I really enjoyed this soup. It had good flavor and it's pretty healthy for you, since it's not a typical cream-based ham soup. This is perfect to make with your leftover ham from your holiday meals. 3 stars.