Happy New Year!!!
Starting a brand new year calls for a great breakfast to kick things off. I love breakfast. In fact, I cannot function without a well-balanced breakfast. But there are days when there is absolutely no time to cook anything. Most breakfast cereals just don't cut it for Bryson and I-- we are literally famished just a couple of hours later. So a nice solution is getting everything prepped the night before and letting the slow cooker work its magic. All of the hearty grains in this yummy porridge will keep your energy levels high throughout the morning hours. If you like a little more protein with your breakfast, just add a little yogurt on the side and you're good to go!
Crock-pot Porridge
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (you can substitute regular oatmeal here if you wish, although you may want to increase the liquid a bit)
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 cups rice milk
2 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 chopped dates
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground ginger
1. Spray medium-to-large crock pot with cooking spray. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cover.
2. Set on lowest setting for temperature and cook overnight.
3. Spoon into cereal bowls in the morning with a little extra milk. If you would like it even sweeter, try a little applesauce instead of reaching for the sugar bowl-- yum!
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from a recipe by Tosca Reno
