Woman's epic slow cooker breakfast recipe goes viral

Slow cookers are vexing gadget. Even though they’ve become a staple for busy people everywhere, there’s something inherently nerve wracking about heading out for the day or going to sleep with something bubbling away on your kitchen counter. As an inherently anxious person, I find it very difficult to get behind anything that requires me to leave a piping hot electric cauldron unattended for 10 minutes, let alone 10 hours. That being said, they clearly have their uses. They also lend themselves to some seriously cunning cooking hacks. 

This characteristic has been aptly demonstrated this week by the crock pot connoisseurs frequenting the Facebook group “Slow Cooker Recipes & Tips”. Not content with using their tools for simple stews or casseroles, these culinary creatives have dedicated themselves to exploring the limits of what is possible with a slow cooker. At the far end of those limits, apparently, is one of the world’s weirdest cooked breakfasts. 

The recipe was shared by group member Ara Haddon, who posted a picture of her efforts, along with detailed instructions explaining how to execute the dish. She began her instructions by stating:

“Finally gave the slow cooker big breakfast a go. Been meaning to try it for ages. Verdict: Best.Idea.ever! This will be us every big breakfast morning. Thank you to whoever it was that discovered it!”

The full instructions for a slow-cookered breakfast are:

“Place all breakfast ingredients in the slow cooker like in the photo. (b)acon and sausages along the sides so they crisp up, (next time I will try using baking paper to help keep them from sticking to the sides).

Saucy stuff like baked beans and mushrooms into individual cups so they don’t end up a big mash. Mushrooms: I added garlic, butter, and a dash of cream. In the morning I put them on the stove top to thicken the sauce.

Has browns- I want to try putting them along the edges as well next time to see if that helps them get crispy. They were still delicious as is (sic.).

I turned the slow cooker on low at 11pm, I got up at 8am and it looked like it had been ready for awhile. we ate at around 9am ? The only things we had to do was toast the muffins and poach the eggs...oh and thicken the mushroom sauce.”

Despite the apparently ingenious nature of the hack, some commenters were not convinced. One wrote, “so this would take all of 30 min all up eggs and toast as well, yet leaving it on all night for 8 hours is a good idea,” while another added, “Or start cooking it normally at 8:45am and it will be ready on a plate for 9am.” However, plenty seemed determined to try it for themselves, suggesting that it may yet become the next food fad. Time will tell. Even if it does take several hours longer than usual.