This hearty and flavorful hash is made with sweet potatoes, bacon, and pecans, all slow-cooked to perfection for a deliciously nutritious breakfast or side dish.
Drain on paper towels, crumble, cover, and refrigerate.
Drain all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the skillet.
Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring for 5 minutes until the onion softens and the brown bits from the skillet are loosened.
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes and combine them with the cooked onions in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Stir to mix.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, orange juice, applesauce, melted butter, salt, and pepper.
Stir well.
Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes and onions in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Stir in the reserved crumbled bacon and chopped pecans.
Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
If desired, top each serving of hash with a fried egg.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve as a main dish for breakfast or as a flavorful side dish with grilled meats.Wine Advice:Pair with a light, crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or a glass of sparkling water for a refreshing contrast to the richness of the hash.
This creamy, savory breakfast casserole combines spinach, cottage cheese, and eggs in a rich, slow-cooked dish, perfect for a filling start to your day.
Thaw the spinach and drain well, then place it in a large bowl.
In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese and cream cheese and process until smooth.
Add the cheese mixture to the spinach along with ½ cup of shredded Cheddar cheese.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs, flour, salt, basil, pepper, and melted butter.
Mix well.
Stir the egg mixture into the spinach mixture.
Pour the entire mixture into a 3-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours, or until the casserole is set.
Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of Cheddar cheese and the chopped parsley over the casserole.
Cover and let stand until the cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve with a side of fresh fruit or toast for a complete breakfast.Wine Advice:Pair with a crisp sparkling wine or a light mimosa to complement the rich, creamy flavors.
A hearty and nutritious breakfast made with steel-cut oats, apples, dried fruit, and a touch of cinnamon—perfect for a warm and filling start to the day.
The night before, toast the oats over low heat in a small saucepan for 5–8 minutes, stirring frequently until they are lightly golden brown.
Place the toasted oats in a 3-quart slow cooker.
Add the water, orange juice, salt, cinnamon, apples, dried fruit, and brown sugar.
Stir well to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 7–9 hours.
In the morning, stir in the half-and-half and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve the oatmeal topped with granola.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve with additional fruit or a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness.Wine Advice:Pair with a fresh fruit juice like apple or orange juice, or enjoy with a hot cup of tea to enhance the oatmeal’s flavors.
Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until the onion is crisp-tender.
Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Layer half of the frozen hash browns in the slow cooker.
Add half of the onion mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat the layers, ending with the mozzarella cheese.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, seasonings, and evaporated milk until blended.
Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 10–12 hours, or until set.
Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and parsley, and let stand until the cheese melts.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve with a side of fresh fruit or a drizzle of hot sauce for added flavor.Wine Advice:Pair with a light white wine such as Chardonnay or a fresh juice like orange juice to complement the flavors of the casserole.
In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped apples with apple juice.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Drain the apples, reserving the juice.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, and melted butter, and mix well.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the reserved apple juice, eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, and beat well.
Set aside.
Cut the bread slices into cubes.
In a slow cooker, layer half of the bread cubes, raisins, apples, and brown sugar mixture.
Repeat the layers.
Pour the egg mixture over the top and cover the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 3½ to 4½ hours, or until the pudding is set.
Turn off the slow cooker and let the pudding cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Apples for Slow Cooking
For slow cooking, choose apples that hold their shape well in baking. Good choices include Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh, and Winesap. Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples are usually the most inexpensive. For more texture and color, leave the peel on; just core the apples and cut into cubes.Serving Tip:Serve warm with fresh fruit or a dollop of whipped cream for an indulgent treat.Wine Advice:Pair with a light dessert wine such as Moscato or a warm spiced cider to complement the cinnamon and apple flavors.
In a 3½-quart slow cooker, layer the crumbled bacon, waffle cubes, Colby cheese, and green onions.
Drain the skillet, discarding the bacon fat (do not wipe the skillet).
Add the evaporated milk and cream cheese to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese melts and the mixture is smooth.
Remove from heat and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
Stir in the dry mustard and pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 4–5 hours, or until the eggs are set.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve with warmed maple syrup on the side for an extra touch of sweetness.Wine Advice:Pair with a light sparkling wine such as Prosecco or a refreshing Mimosa for a delightful brunch experience.
Place the steel-cut oatmeal in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Toast the oatmeal, stirring constantly for 8–9 minutes, until it becomes fragrant and begins to brown around the edges.
Remove the oatmeal from the skillet and transfer it to the slow cooker.
In the same skillet, melt the butter and add the chopped walnuts.
Toast the walnuts over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are nicely browned.
Add the toasted walnuts and all remaining ingredients (except the spices) to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 7–9 hours, until the oatmeal is tender.
Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg, cover, and let the oatmeal stand for 10 minutes.
Serve topped with a bit of butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and more chopped walnuts for extra flavor.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve warm with your favorite toppings such as fresh fruit, nuts, or a drizzle of honey for added sweetness.Wine Advice:Pair with a light, crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, for a refreshing contrast.
Spiced Fruit Compote with Pineapple, Apple, and Peaches
A warm and comforting spiced fruit compote made with pineapple, apple pie filling, and peaches. Perfect for a cozy breakfast or as a topping for pancakes, French toast, or oatmeal.
Combine all ingredients (except cornstarch and water) with ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice in a 2-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring twice during the cooking time, until the fruit is hot and the mixture is bubbling.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 10-15 minutes until the compote thickens.
Serve the fruit compote over pancakes, French toast, or as a topping for oatmeal or cereal.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve warm over your favorite breakfast foods like pancakes or waffles, or enjoy as a comforting side dish.Wine Advice:Pair with a light, sparkling wine like Prosecco for a festive and refreshing accompaniment.
This hearty and flavorful apple walnut strata, with layers of French bread, granola, and cinnamon, is perfect for brunch. Serve it with cold applesauce and heavy cream for a comforting contrast.
Spray a 3 or 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream, orange juice, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Whisk well to blend.
Set aside.
Place half of the cubed French bread in the bottom of the prepared slow cooker and sprinkle with half of the granola, walnuts, and apples.
Repeat the layers.
Pour the egg mixture over the layers in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, or until just set.
Do not cook on low.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve warm with a side of cold applesauce and a drizzle of heavy cream for an extra touch of indulgence.Wine Advice:Pair with a light white wine, such as Moscato, or a sparkling cider for a refreshing contrast.
A flavorful and versatile chutney made with fresh and dried blueberries, a touch of curry, and apple. Perfect as a topping for cream cheese, a sandwich spread, or simply served as a dip.
Combine all ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water, in a 2-quart slow cooker.
Stir to blend, then cover and cook on low for 5–7 hours or until the blueberries pop and the apple is tender.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, stirring to blend.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the chutney and cover again.
Cook on high for 20–30 minutes or until the chutney thickens to your desired consistency.
Serve hot or cold.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:Serve the chutney with cream cheese and fruit for dipping, or spread it on sandwiches for an extra burst of flavor.Wine Advice:Pair with a light white wine like Chardonnay or a refreshing sparkling wine to balance the sweetness and spice of the chutney.
