Simple Sunday – Crockpot Roast Beast

Did you notice that there is no breakfast recipe in the title??  Well, I’ve had such an overwhelming response to my breakfast recipes (she says dripping with sarcasm) that I thought maybe nobody cares about making breakfast on Sunday easy.   So lets shift gears, shall we?

You’ve already skipped breakfast, the pastor got long winded and everyone is starving!  Now what?   Ahhhh, the handy dandy crockpot once again comes into the picture.   Since there is no baked oatmeal, French toast or breakfast casserole in your crockpot you should have plenty of time to fill it with this lovely recipe before leaving for church.

You will need to consider the size of your crockpot, the size of your family and how much they can inhale on a Sunday afternoon.

Purchase one large beef roast, several cans of cream of mushroom soup and beef broth (equal amounts of broth and soup).   Dump your soup and broth in the crockpot and blend.  Put your roast in, put the lid on, turn on high and go to church!

When you arrive home you’ll be met by the scrumptious smell of dinner.   Now while the kidlets are taking off their Sunday clothes remove the beef roast and do one of these things:

a.  pour in a bag of egg noodles and let cook until done.

b.  mix up batch of homemade dumplings and pop them on top of the juice and cover until done

c.  look blankly at the computer screen and ask “how in the world do you make dumplings?   Aaaahh, glad you asked.   In a large bowl dump out some SELF RISING FLOUR, add water and stir until it reaches the consistency biscuit dough or a little thinner.   Drop by spoonfuls on top of the juice in the crockpot.   Cover and let cook until the dumplings are done (that means they are no longer wet inside or out).

After choosing any of these options, go take off those gosh awful pantyhose, put on something comfy.  Return to the kitchen, slap a premade salad on the table and dive in!

Simple Sunday – Crockpot French Toast

Seriously, who can resist French toast?  And if you can make enough at one time to feed everyone without going in shifts, even better!  So here is a totally awesome recipe to get your Sunday off to a WONDERFUL start.

1 whole loaf of bread
1 dozen eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups of milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, or other desired nuts (optional)

Grease the inside of your crockpot (5 or 6 quart size) very well with butter, shortening, or cooking spray. Slice your bread into large slices (if it's already sliced, just dump it in) and place the bread into the crockpot.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Pour on top of the bread.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Simple Sunday – Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

Ah, the beloved crockpot.  This contraption makes most of my Sunday’s more simple by having dinner waiting when we get home.  So I guess it’s a toss up as to which makes my day easier, breakfast or lunch!

32 oz. frozen hash browns
1 lb. ham or sausage cooked/crumbled
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1.5 cups shredded cheese (pick your favorite)
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Spray crockpot with cooking spray or olive oil.  Layer 1/3 hash browns, 1/2 onions, 1/3 pepper, 1/3 cheese.  Repeat layers ending with cheese.

Beat eggs, milk and seasonings.  Pour over layers.  Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low.

Serves 12…so plan on having leftovers  for a day or two if you have a smaller family!

Simple Sunday – Chile Egg Puff

Yes, it’s that time again!  Time for another warm and filling breakfast before heading out to church!   This recipe is yummy.  Don’t worry, the chile’s don’t make it spicy or hot, they just add flavor.

10 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup diced green chiles (2 or 3 4oz. cans) WELL DRAINED
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup butter melted

Mix up all ingredients EXCEPT chiles and store in fridge overnight.  In the morning, stir the mixture and fold in the chiles.

Pour into well buttered 13X9 baking pan.  Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes, until the top is brown and the middle is firm.

Enjoy!

Simple Sunday – Ham and Cheese Puff

You’re going to start to notice a theme in the breakfast recipes….lots of eggs, milk and cheese in some form.  It’s all good, it sticks with you until lunch time!  I love this one, it reminds me of a Monte Cristo sandwich.

Please notice that this one needs to sit out for a bit before you bake it, and it bakes almost an hour.  So adjust your alarm clock accordingly.

1 loaf (1lb.) Italian bread cubed
3 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 lbs. Monterey jack, cubed or shredded
1 small onion, chopped
1/8 cup butter
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup mustard
8 eggs

Toss bread, ham,  and cheese together.  Place in buttered 13X9 dish.  Mix eggs, milk, mustard and onion.  Pour over bread mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Simple Sunday – Baked Oatmeal

Here is another recipe in my “Simple Sunday” series.   This oatmeal is great on cold days, and it sticks with you for several hours!

4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 cups milk
1 cup brown sugar
6 cups dry oatmeal
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Beat eggs, oil, milk and sugar.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Pour into 13X9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Oatmeal is done when set and bounces back like a cake.  Serve in bowls with milk.

This recipe can be cut in half if need be.  The oatmeal warms up nicely in the microwave, so leftovers are a good thing!

Simple Sunday – Egg Soufflé

I don’t know about you, but Sunday can be one of the most hectic days of the week on my calendar.  Yes, I know it’s supposed to be a day of rest, but lets be real.  If you have a family, and are a worker in your local church body, you really don’t get any rest on Sunday either.

Seriously, does your Sunday morning usually end up with everyone flying in different directions?  Susie can’t find her left shoe, Bobby put the cat in the blender and your husband’s Bible seems to have been raptured before the rest of us because it’s nowhere to be found.  By the time everyone is ready and out the door on time, or ahem, a few minutes late, you realize nobody ate breakfast, because really who had time to cook it while you were doing damage control?  Next stop, Jiffy-Mart and everyone has a snacky cake and a soda.  Just so you know, the Sunday school teachers really don’t need a room full of sugar hyped kids every week, k?

So, in an endeavor to help make your Sunday mornings more pleasant, I’m starting a series of “Simple Sunday” recipes.  These are things you can mix up the night before, pop in the oven before you get in the shower on Sunday morning and have a hot breakfast on the table before heading out the door.

I can’t guarantee you that Susie’s shoes will be where they belong, or that the cat won’t get stuck in the blender again.  But, I can guarantee that you won’t be digging through your purse during the altar call looking for lint covered mints to stop your tummy from growling too much.  

Sunday school teachers, please throw money in my direction.  I’m doing this for you!

8 slices of bread, no crust
1/2 cup grated sharp cheese
2 cups milk
6 eggs beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
salt & pepper to taste

Butter 8X11 dish.  Break up bread and dump in dish.  Mix eggs, milk, cheese, salt & pepper and pour over bread.  Pour melted butter on top.  Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until set.

Depending on the size of your family, you can double as needed.  I don’t really trim the crusts off the bread, it looks prettier if you do, but what a waste!  And the cheese, yeah well, the more cheese the better is my theory.  But hey, stick with the original recipe the first time and then tweak it after that.  Speaking of which, you can add a little onion, green pepper or even some cooked sausage or bacon if you’d like.