Making a Crock-Pot® breakfast can really help to save time in the morning; it is prepared before bed, then cooks all night and is hot and ready to eat in the morning. Breakfast casseroles are popular, even those that include scrambled eggs, as well as fruit cobbler. Steel-cut oatmeal is another excellent Crock-Pot® breakfast option, since it takes such a long time to cook on the stovetop. The specific recipes for preparing breakfast ahead of time in a slow cooker can vary, but in general the ingredients will simply be layered, and the liquid eggs poured over top of them. They may then cook between five and eight hours.
When preparing a Crock-Pot® breakfast, it is important to keep in mind the cooking time. Since there will typically not be a great deal of liquid in a breakfast the way there will be with other slow cooker dishes, it is important not to overcook it, because it can get dried out or burned. It may require preparing the breakfast fairly late at night so that it only cooks in the Crock-Pot® for the specified time, particularly if it should only cook for five or six hours. If a recipe calls for cooking it on low for five or six hours, don't stretch it to eight.
Another important tip to remember when preparing a Crock-Pot® breakfast is to cook it on the "low" setting for the entire time. Some slow cooker recipes for dinners may recommend setting it to high for the first hour or so to cook any meat that is included, but this is not generally recommended for breakfast recipes, as the higher heat can burn more delicate ingredients like eggs or puff pastry. Aside from these tips, it is important to follow the Crock-Pot® breakfast recipes carefully.
Most Crock-Pot® breakfast recipes begin with applying a non-stick spray to the pan, particularly for a breakfast casserole. Ingredients of the breakfast casserole are then layered; it often includes meat such as sausage or ham that has been pre-browned in a pan, as well as potatoes or vegetables, puff pastry, and spices. Butter and raw eggs are then poured over the layered ingredients. Oatmeal is much simpler, and may just require adding a little more liquid than is originally called for in the recipe to ensure it doesn't dry out. For many people, preparing breakfast in a slow cooker the night before is an invaluable way to save time in the morning.