The way to my man's heart.

5 days ago, I received an e-mail from Dinnertool.com. Remember them? They had that crock pot recipe contest that I bugged you about every day for 2 weeks. You can't possibly have forgotten about my infamous award winning "Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese", right? Sadly, the e-mail was to inform me that Dinnertool.com is closing its virtual doors forever. Boo. Tomorrow is their last day, so go check them out before you can't anymore.

Since I tormented my other half with cinnamon for the past month or so, I decided to make it up to him by crocking something I know he'd like. AND I added a special ingredient this time. Because I'm just that awesome.

"Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese with BACON" (6 quart pot)

~3 T unsalted butter, divided
~3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
~1 yellow onion, chopped
~1 celery stalk, chopped
~2 garlic cloves, chopped (From the CSA.)
~1 c Frank's Buffalo Sauce (I didn't use Xtra hot this time because I can't find it ANYWHERE. Boo.)
~2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
~1 1/2 c evaporated milk (I experimented and didn't use regular milk this time.)
~7.5 oz buffalo cheddar cheese (I found some of THIS in the cheese case and HAD to buy some. I tasted some before I put it in the pot. It's SPICY.)
~1 c Panko breadcrumbs
~1/2 c crumbled blue cheese
~2 slices of bacon, cooked crispy-like and broken into pieces (The only way bacon should ever be cooked.)

Grease crock pot.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1 T butter.
Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan and sauté until veggies are softened.
Add chicken and cook until the pink is gone.
Add buffalo sauce and toss chicken to coat.
Let sit cooking for a few minutes while you make the topping.
Topping:
Melt 2 T butter,
Add breadcrumbs, blue cheese, and bacon and mix.
Set aside.
Pour chicken mixture into crock pot.
Add macaroni, milk, and buffalo cheese.
Mix everything in the crock pot well. Make sure the macaroni is submerged.
Pour topping over the crock pot mixture as evenly as you can.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

8 servings.

Delicious!

The.

End.

Erin go brat.

The author of this cookbook says that you can find this in ANY pub in Dublin. I've never been, so I'll just have to take her word for it.

"Dublin Coddle" (6 quart pot)

~4 slices lean bacon
~5 pork sausages
~2 yellow onions, sliced
~salt
~pepper
~2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
~2 carrots, peeled and sliced
~1 c beer (or water, or hard cider or chicken stock.) I used Brooklyn's brown ale.
~1/4 c chopped fresh parsley (I kind of forgot this part.)

Cook bacon until it's crispy and drain. (I do it in the microwave because I can. The recipe had you do it in a sauté pan.)
Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat and add sausages for 10 minutes turning frequently until browned.
Transfer sausages to a plate and drain fat from sauté pan.
Add onions to sauté pan and stir frequently for 10 minutes or until browned.
Spread half of the onions on the bottom of the crock pot.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place half of the potatoes on top.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Lay the bacon on top of the potatoes.
Lay the sausages over the bacon.
Spread carrots over the sausages.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread remaining onions over carrots.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Top with remaining potatoes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add beer. (Or whatever you decide to use.)
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Sprinkle with parsley. (Or forget to do it like I did.)
Serve immediately.

5 servings.

Mmm... If I ever find myself in Dublin pub (which WILL happen if I ever end up in Dublin), I'm going to have to try this. I'm not a HUGE fan of bratwurst, but this was REALLY good.

The end?

I turned the big 3-2 yesterday and my last minute gift to myself was taking the day off.

We start moving tomorrow, so this is MOST likely the last crock until we pack up everything (again) and U-haul it to our new dwelling.

What fun things are in Brad's pantry? Day 32.

~2 beef steaks (From the 1/8 of a cow. One was a rib cut and the other was a porterhouse.)

~1 bunch fresh asparagus (I bought this.)

~1 t Mr Stubbs Hickory liquid smoke (This was hiding, so I was shocked to see that it doesn't expire until 2014.)

~1 t lemon juice 

~1 t balsamic vinegar

~3 slices of bacon, cooked.

~3 small russett potatoes. (I bought these.)

Add beef to crock pot.

Surround beef with asparagus.

Pour liquid smoke over beef.

Pour lemon juice and vinegar over asparagus.

Place bacon on top of beef.

Place potatoes on top of everything.

Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

2 servings.

This had a nice flavor, but was kind of greasy (probably because I didn't brown it first), so it doesn't land in our favorites pile. Other than some beef liver that I am too much of a pansy to try, the 1/8 of a cow in Brad's freezer is GONE.

You're welcome. 

Artery Clogging Pinterest.

I briefly perused my friends' boards to see if anyone had any fun crockable recipes pinned. I stole this one from Amanda. (Hi Amanda!) It looked deliciously unhealthy and was compared to some Outback Steakhouse potato soup I've never had. Sold!

The original is HERE.

"Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup" (6 quart pot)

~1 (30 oz.) bag of frozen, shredded hash browns (I used Safeway's store brand.)
~3 (14 oz.) cans of chicken broth
~1 (15 oz) can of cream of chicken soup
~1/2 cup onion, chopped
~1/4 tsp. ground pepper
~1 pkg. cream cheese (I used full fat because the original recipe said that fat free wouldn't melt. More on that later...)
~crispy bacon pieces
~green onions
~shredded cheddar

Add potatoes, broth, soup, onion, and pepper to crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Add cream cheese 1 hour before end of cooking time. (I cut mine into cubes in hopes that it would aid in the melting. More on that later...)
Ladle in to soup bowls.
Garnish with bacon, green onions, and cheddar.

8 servings.

I had high hopes for this soup, but it was kind of disappointing. I thought that with the artery clogging ingredient list, it was going to be delicious. It was good, but didn't enter delicious territory. The cream cheese didn't melt. (Someone on the internet lied? That never happens!) My other half and I agree that it seemed to be missing something. He thinks that it'd be better with chunks of potatoes. My vote goes to more bacon.

--Or maybe I should save that for the jar of Nutella waiting for us in the pantry (Thanks, Molly). You think this is bad for you? Check THIS out. Thank you, Pinterest.

I'm (corny) bacon.

Sarah picked number 7. (Thanks, Sarah!) The seventh card in the pile was...

"Easy Corn Chowder" (6 quart pot)

~2 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth
~1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn, thawed
~3 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
~1 red bell pepper, diced
~1 onion, diced
~1 celery stalk, sliced
~1/2 t salt
~1/2 t pepper
~1/4 t ground coriander
~1/2 c heavy cream
~8 slices of bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Place broth, corn, potatoes, bell pepper, onion, celery, salt, pepper, and coriander in crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Partially mash soup mixture with a potato masher to thicken.
Stir in cream.
Cook on high, uncovered, until hot.
To serve, sprinkle on bacon.

6 servings.

Baby Liam and his mommie and daddie (Hi Kate and Dan!) joined us for dinner last night. Chowder was new to most of us. I'd never made one before. I'm not entirely sure I've ever HAD one before. We all thought it was yummy. Admittedly, I was super excited to see that bacon was one of the ingredients. Mmm...bacon. I'd happily make a chowder again. ESPECIALLY if there's bacon involved.

P.S. Santa bought this for my little helper this year:

Sometime.

"Almond Chicken" (6 quart pot)

~2 C water (the original recipe listed chicken broth, but I hadn't realized we were out so I substituted)
~2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
~2 T butter
~4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~1/4 c dried minced onion
~1 (4 oz) can mushroom pieces, drained
~2 T soy sauce
~1/2 t sea salt
~2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
~rice, cooked
~1 c slivered almonds, toasted

Combine all ingredients except rice and almonds.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve over rice and garnish with almonds.

4 servings.

This was really good. The almonds. Yum. My other half thinks peas would be a good addition, so maybe I'll do that sometime. AND maybe I'll actually check to make sure we have chicken broth ahead of time.

Irene.

Who just got 20 new Facebook "likes" in 2 hours? This crocker. Impressive! All because The Crock Pot Recipe Exchange turned to Facebook in search of a beef fajita recipe. Welcome fellow crockers! Here is the recipe.

Ok, now back to business...

When a hurricane is heading your way, you don't head to the store to buy fresh meats or fresh veggies, right? Right. Sometime Monday morning (after Irene had visited Maryland), I realized that we had barely any food in the house. Electricity? Yes. (luckily) Food? No. It was time to get creative.

"Quiche-ish Irene" (6 quart pot)

~2 flat refrigerated pie crusts
~3 eggs
~1/4 c milk
~1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained
~6 slices of bacon, cooked all crispy-like and cut into bite-sized pieces
~1 c shredded mexican blend cheese

Place pie crusts in greased crock pot and form something resembling a crust.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Mix eggs, milk, and spinach in a small bowl.
Pour into crust.
Forget that you were going to add cheese to the mixture and mix it into the egg/milk/spinach/bacon mixture at the last minute. (OR you can add it to the mixture beforehand...that's ENTIRELY up to you.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

6 servings.

I think this is probably my tastiest original recipe yet. It's kind of like quiche, but not. One of these days I'll make a proper quiche with a homemade crust and everything. Pinky promise. Also on my list of things to do? Go through all of my posts and tag the recipes. Searching for the beef fajita recipe made me realize that I REALLY need to do that. Sooner rather than later.

Number 1.

I saved the top rated recipe for last. I crocked some Beef Bourguignon yesterday. The original recipe is here.

This is what I did.

"Beef Bourguignon" (6 quart pot)

~6 strips of crunchy cooked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
~2.5 lbs beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
~6 baby carrots, chopped
~1 onion, sliced
~1 t salt
~1/2 t pepper
~3 T flour
~10 oz beef broth
~2 cups red cooking wine (I was going to use real wine, but I forgot to go to liquor store.)
~1 T tomato paste
~2 cloves garlic, minced
~1/2 t dried thyme
~1 bay leaf
~12 oz fresh sliced mushrooms

Brown beef in large skillet.
Remove beef.
Brown carrots and onion.
Add carrots, onion, salt, pepper, flour, and broth. Mix well.
Add beef and bacon. Mix again.
Add wine, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and mushrooms.
Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

6 servings.

Beef. Bacon. "Wine". What's not to love? This was awesome. I can totally see how this made it to the top of the list.

My visit from The Bacon Fairy.

Warning: You may gain 100 pounds after simply reading today's blog post.

It's National Cheesecake Day! Really! Would I lie about something as awesome as that? AND it's Bacon Lovers Week! I can't say that I planned this, either. It's a total coincidence.

How to you make a cheesecake EVEN worse for you? Add chocolate covered bacon! Oh, yeah. I totally went there. And it almost didn't happen. Remember when I said I used all of my bacon? I was wrong. I stumbled across 6 slices of cooked bacon in my microwave when I went to heat up my little helper's lunch yesterday! Either the Bacon Fairy stopped by or I'm a complete ditz. (Don't judge me.)

"Maple Cheesecake with Chocolate Covered Bacon" (6 quart pot)

Crust:

~1 sleeve of graham crackers, pulverized
~3 T butter, melted

Mix well and pour evenly into greased 1.5 qt round Corningware dish.

Cheesecake:

~16oz Philly cream cheese at room temperature
~1/2 c maple syrup
~1/4 c heavy cream
~1 t vanilla extract
~5 eggs

Using a hand mixer, blend cream cheese and maple syrup.
Add heavy cream and vanilla and mix.
Add one egg at a time blending well after each one.
Pour mixture into Corningware.

Cover and cook on low for 2 1/4 hours or until done. (slightly jiggly)
Allow to cook before removing Corningware.
Stick Corningware in fridge overnight.

The next day:

Topping:

~6 slices of bacon
~1/2c semi sweet chocolate chips

Cook 6 slices of bacon until crispy.
Allow to cool.
Melt 1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips.
Add bacon to chocolate and mix until nicely coated.
Stick mixture in freezer for about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle mixture on top of cheesecake.
Cut and serve.

8 servings.

Oh, man. Why do desserts that are TERRIBLE for you have to taste so good? Thank you Bacon Fairy! Happy National Cheesecake Day! 

Bacon to the rescue!

For some reason, I had no plan for dinner tonight. I used the remaining bacon (all 5 slices of it) for my impromptu crock. Please keep that in mind when I blog tomorrow.

"Sweet, Sour, and Salty Chicken" (6 quart pot)

~4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
~5 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy
~1 cup sweet and sour sauce
~1/3 c minced onion
~3 cloves garlic, minced

Arrange chicken in greased crock pot.
Pour sweet and sour sauce on top.
Mix in onion and garlic and add to pot.
Sprinkle bacon on top.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

4 servings.

This was good. I'm not sure what else to say about it.

Bacon makes everything better.

"Beef Roast with Bacon-Chili Gravy" (6 quart pot)

~4 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
~1 beef boneless chuck (about 3lbs)
~1/4 t garlic salt
~1/4 t pepper
~6 baby carrots, chopped
~1 4.5oz can chopped green chilis
~1/4c beef broth
~1/4 c chili sauce
~1T flour

Cook bacon in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy.
Remove bacon using slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle beef with garlic salt and pepper.
Add beef to skillet and cook in bacon fat on medium heat for 5 minutes until brown on both sides.
Place beef into greased crock pot.
Top with bacon and carrots.
In small bowl, mix chilis, broth, chili sauce, and flour.
Pour mixture over beef.
Cover and cook on low for 11 hours.
Place beef on a platter.
Stir gravy in cooker and serve with the beef.

6 servings.

This was AWESOME. It's easily in my top 3. Oh man. A warning though...you have to like this type of spicy. One of my bites was full of hot chili pepper goodness and I know a lot of people don't enjoy having their mouths on fire, but I most certainly do.

Bacon-licious.

"Cajun-Seasoned Chicken" (6 quart pot)

~3 strips of bacon, chopped
~1 green pepper, chopped
~1 onion, chopped
~4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (The original recipe called for boneless skinless, but bone-in skinned was RIDICULOUSLY cheap comparatively, so I used them instead and skinned them myself.
~2 t Cajun seasoning
~1 14oz can diced tomatoes
~1 t Tabasco sauce
~rice, cooked

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.
Stir in pepper and onion and cook until crisp tender.
Remove mixture using a slotted spoon and dump it into crock pot.
Sprinkle chicken with 1 t Cajun seasoning.
Cook chicken in the same skillet until brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side)
Arrange chicken in crock pot over vegetable mixture.
Pour tomatoes over chicken
Stir in remaining 1 t Cajun seasoning and Tabasco sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve over rice.

4 servings.

The chicken was super tender and flavorful. The bacon kind of gets lost with all of the veggies, so you might not notice it unless you know it's in there. Also, this was supposed to have celery in it, but I forgot to add it to my shopping list, so I had to make it without. No big deal. It was perfectly fine without it. I'd definitely make this again.

I heart bacon.

Hopefully, by now, you're fully aware that I love bacon. Who doesn't love bacon? It's "Bacon Lovers Week"! Sounds deliciously artery clogging, yes?

"Spicy Tex-Mex Bowl" (6 quart pot)

~1/3 c lentils, uncooked (I now know what lentils are. And how to cook them! Go me!)
~1 1/2 c water
~5 strips bacon
~1 onion, chopped
~1 16oz can pinto beans, undrained
~1 16oz can red kidney beans, undrained
~1 15oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
~3 T ketchup
~3 cloves garlic, minced
~1 t chili powder
~1/2 t ground cumin
~1/4 t crushed red pepper
~1 bay leaf

Boil lentils in water for 20 minutes in a large sauce pan. Drain.
Cook bacon until crisp in small skillet. Drain and crumble bacon.
Cook onion in bacon drippings until soft.
Combine lentils, bacon, beans (with juice), tomatoes (with juice), ketchup, garlic, chili powder, cumin, red pepper, and bay leaf in crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove bay leaf before serving.

8 servings.

A spicy chili with bacon in it. What's not to love?  This recipe made a ton of it and that's not a bad thing. Not at all. Yum.

Betty Crocker-Griller.

I'm a crocker. My other half is a griller. He'll grill in the evil summer heat. He'll grill in the rain. He'll even grill during a blizzard. All of this grilling and somehow, these veggie burgers have gone uneaten. As I was recycling the packaging, I noticed that they expired 3 months ago. I can't imagine how long they'd been hiding in the freezer.

"Bunless Bacon Bbq Veggie Cheeseburger" (6 quart pot)

~4 Morningstar grillers prime, defrosted and quartered
~6 slices bacon, cooked
~3 slices American cheese
~1/3 c bbq sauce

Add burger pieces to greased crock pot.
Top with bacon, cheese, and bbq sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.*

This was good. You can't really go wrong adding bacon and bbq sauce to something. It would've been AWESOMER with actual beef burgers, but since we've had these veggie burgers forever, I used them instead. *This was a bit overcooked because totally guestimated the crocking time.  I'd suggest 5-6 hours maybe and adding the cheese closer to the end so it doesn't burn. It tasted better than it looks. Promise.

Call it.

Call it thrifty. Call it creative. Call it laziness.  I'm calling it "Wing It Week." This week, I'll be going through my kitchen and throwing random leftover goodies into my crock pot. There is no meal plan and I'm not stepping foot into a grocery store. All of the ingredients I'm using are already in my kitchen. And if something is inedible, we'll call the wing place. Yet another reason to call it "Wing It Week".

"Day 1: Breakfast for dinner" (6 quart pot)

~3 whole wheat hamburger buns, cut into bite sized pieces
~16 oz carton of 100% egg whites
~1/3 c milk
~6 strips of bacon, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
~1/4 c grated mozzarella cheese
~yellow bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
~medium tomato, cut into bite sized pieces
~salt
~pepper

4 servings.

Dump bun pieces into greased crock pot.
Mix egg product and milk in medium bowl.
Add bacon, cheese, pepper, tomato, salt, and pepper to medium bowl and mix.
Pour mixture over bun pieces.
Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 hours.

This was good, but not great. It was a bit soggy for my liking. This could likely be fixed by adding a fourth bun (if you have one) or using different bread. Otherwise, it was yummy and bacon-licious.

A wop ba-ba lu-mop a wop bam boom!

I love bacon. I spent all week trying to think of what "goes with" it and came to the conclusion that anything goes. This ended up being another one of my clean out the pantry types of meals because that's what happens when I don't plan ahead.

"Bacon Anything" (3.5 quart pot)

~4 c french bread, cubed (what was left from the loaf I used white chocolate/raspberry bread pudding)
~1 cup All Whites egg product (also left from the pudding recipe)
~8 strips of bacon, cooked (crunchy because thats how bacon is SUPPOSED to be cooked)
~1 tomato, quartered
~1/4 c milk
~1 c shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend)
~salt and pepper to taste

Add bread to greased crock pot.
Mix rest of ingredients in a medium bowl and pour over bread.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

4 servings.

It wasn't as eggy as I thought it was going to be, but it was awesome. AND I'm totally glad I decided to double the bacon at the last minute. Mmm...bacon!

Thus ends "We go together" week!

Next week's theme is "Kids!" And I've already started crocking for it! More on that next week...

Icanhazfondue.

"Bacon Cheeseburger in a Pot" (3.5 quart pot)

~1/2 lb ground beef, browned
~1/2 t salt
~1/2 c green pepper, chopped
~3/4 c onion, chopped
~8 oz tomato sauce
~4 oz can green chilies
~1 T Worcestershire sauce
~1 T brown sugar
~1/4 c bacon crumbles
~1 lb Velveeta, cubed
~1 T paprika
~crushed red pepper to taste

Combine beef, salt, green peppers, onion, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and bacon  in crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
During last hour, stir in cheese, paprika, and red pepper

Serve with...stuff. We had french baguette slices, Tostido bowls, broccoli, and cauliflower.

8 servings.

I love cheese. I thought nothing could be too cheesy.  I was wrong. It needed more beef to help balance it out. And more bacon. Bacon wasn't in the original recipe, so I didn't know how much it would need. The Velveeta totally drowned out everything else in the pot. Next time: Less cheese. Or maybe a different cheese. And more meat and bacon. It was good, but it could be so much better.






Dessert.

I had a pack of Peeps in the pantry begging me to put them in the crock pot. Along with their friend chocolate bunny. And their pals Cadbury caramel eggs.

"Easter Fondue" (6 quart pot)

~6 oz Cadbury milk chocolate bunny
~2 yellow Peeps
~2 Cadbury caramel eggs
~3 T milk

4 servings.

Cover and cook for...well...here's what I did:

I started with the bunny and one peep and crocked them covered and on low for about an hour. The wax eyes of the peep melted, but that was it. I increased it to high and let it go for an hour. The peep got soft. The bunny did, too, but it wasn't melting. Adding a few tablespoons of milk seemed to help. I added the caramel eggs. They melted. I added another peep. It melted. The bunny never really melted completely. There was still a chunk or two or 12 left when I gave up and decided to eat it as it was.

You can't really go wrong with chocolate fondue. Not even when the chocolate doesn't melt all of the way.

My tongue tastes like burning.

You say potato, I say potato.

It's "Total Request Crock" week!

I started off with "Cheesy Potato Soup" as requested by Heather. (Hi Heather!) I chose it to start of the week because it happened to be the most convenient because we had most of the ingredients already in house. 

"Cheesy Potato Soup" (6 quart pot)

~6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

~2 1/2 cups water

~1/2 cup chopped onion

~2 chicken bouillon cubes

~1/4 t pepper

~9 slices American cheese, shredded

~1 12oz can evaporated milk

~2 t bacon pieces

~2 t green onions

Combine potatoes, water, onion, bouillon, and pepper in crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.

Stir in cheese and milk.

Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.

Top each serving with bacon and green onions.

 6 servings.

I read through the comments on the Mixing Bowl's website and saw that of the 7 on there, only one person had actually made it. The crocker said that she screwed it up somehow and it ended up with a glue-like consistency. She blamed the cheese and said that she's decrease it and make other adjustments when she made it again. It had me a little worried and I briefly considered following her suggestions. Briefly. I ended up following the original recipe EXACTLY and this in no way looked (or tasted) like glue. 

This was AMAZING. Creamy. Cheesy. Potato-y. Yum. It's a great comfort soup. I'd definitely make this again. I don't what the other crocker did to mess it up because it was delicious. Thanks Heather!

Breaking the rules is tasty.

I had a rule:  No crock potting on the weekends UNLESS it was for a special event. I figured we'd have weekend plans and be eating out, we'd be staying home and eating the leftovers, or we'd *gasp* eat something that was not made in a crock pot. My "rule" didn't even last one week. I figured wrong. We ended up with no plans this weekend, we don't actually have that many leftovers (and we ate some of the ones that we do have for lunch today), and I wasn't particularly in the mood for anything in the freezer. I had the perfect solution! Break my rule! I had my eye on this recipe and it'd been on my list of things to make this week. I just didn't know when to make it. I am not a morning person. AT ALL. Then, it hit me: breakfast for dinner! I haven't done that in forever. I'm breaking rules all over the place!

Breakfast Bake (6 quart pot)

~4 cups diced crusty bread (1-inch dice)
~1 T vegetable oil
~8 oz fresh mushrooms
~2 cups fresh spinach
~8 eggs
~1/2 cup milk
~1 package of precooked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or skip the bacon to make it vegetarian)
~1 red pepper, chopped
~1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
~salt and pepper to taste

Spray crock pot with Pam.
Add bread.
On a heated skillet, cook oil, mushrooms and spinach. Toss until coated. Cook until spinach wilts.
Beat eggs and milk in a large bowl.
Add bacon, red pepper, cheese, salt and black pepper. Mix.
Add skillet mixture. Mix.
Pour into crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, until eggs are firm, but still moist.

6-8 servings.