Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Am I the only person who becomes crippled by indecision when asked to bring a dish to a potluck?

Yes?

Oh. Well, whatever. I do become crippled by indecision EVERY TIME. Mostly it's because when the husband has a work thing that requires that I be nice and cook something for him to take, there is no choice in the issue. His coworkers demand a Nutella Nut Roll. Seriously. There are usually some threats involved. But when it's me that needs some sort of food stuffs, I can make whatever I want.

INDECISION.

IT BURNS.

The last time I had to throw something together, I decided to try a recipe that I had sitting around on a card from last summer's BlogHer conference. I adapted it to make it vegetarian, obviously, but the core recipe by Jimmy Dean is just fine.

It's a slow cooker breakfast casserole that leaves a lot of room for improvisation. Add spinach, kick the peppers out of the equation, sneak some bacon in there (or even fake bacon!), sub in some other kind of cheese ... whatever. It would work.

Promise.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

1 package frozen hash brown potatoes (I like Ore-Rida Country Style for this)
1 package Morningstar sausage patties, crumbled (or regular sausage, just be sure to precook it)
1 red pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 green pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray, or lightly coat it with oil.

2. Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.

3. Top the potatoes with half of the sausage, peppers, onion, and cheese.

4. Put the rest of the potatoes on top.

5. Repeat that sausage, peppers, onion, and cheese action.

6. Beat the eggs and milk together. Add the salt and pepper and beat those eggs a little bit more.

7. Pour the eggs and milk into the slow cooker.

8. Jimmy Dean says to cook it on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, but mine was done a little before that. Given that my slow cooker always seems to cook things faster than average, I'm willing to blame it. But, you know, watch yours if you don't know how it ranks.

A Lesson Learned From Steubenville

As eyes turn towards Steubenville and a verdict, I flash back to the months I spent there. None of it matters, but I have family who lives there. I've seen some of Steubenville's ugly up close and personal. I've seen it up close and personal enough to know that the things that happen there can happen anywhere.

Crimes go unreported. Drugs pass hands right in front of law enforcement. Bribes are accepted. Cover-ups happen. It all happens. Everywhere.

The testimony that has been revealed during the case the past few days has left me thinking one thing -- so many parents failed. So many parents did everything they could to raise a kid who would choose to do the right thing, but so many kids failed to do anything positive. Instead, they laughed. And mocked. And played along.

How does a teen see a naked young adult lying passed out on the floor take a photograph and then walk away?

How does a teen sit in a basement and laugh and laugh about how "dead" a young lady is? How does another teen videotape the rant and laugh?

How does a teen read a text describing a situation that is so clearly wrong and reply back with LOL?

There are bigger villains in the case, but ... man. If my kid were to be the person who took that photograph or recorded that video or read that text and my kid did nothing to stop what was happening, I would be crushed.

Maybe that's the take away from this case. There's nothing we can do to change the past, but maybe we can change the future. Maybe it is our responsibility to teach our kids to text us the words, "Help, I don't know what to do?" or teach them to call the police or teach them to just do ... something. Anything. Intervene in some way.

Just ... do something.

Still Waiting For Her To Appreciate The Curls