Roger's Slow Cooker Potato Casserole + No Spill Coffee

Roger's Slow Cooker Potato Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes peeled or unpeeled
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth, (or water)
1 small onion
2 slices thick sliced bacon

I have the 1 1/2 quart Crock Pot so my recipe is smaller.  You can easily double it.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are REALLY done.


This is an adaptation of a childhood favorite that we used to cook up "on the farm"  We called it "Stewed 'Taters"  It was pretty much thinly sliced potatoes. 4-6 hot dogs and some water.  We simmered it on the stove top in a black iron fry pan, (that I still have), covered, for several hours until it was pretty much mush.  Great side dish and with eggs in the morning.  You can also treat it like potato soup.  I had never heard of hash browns until I was in my teens.  Potatoes in our house were usually mashed or on special occasions, baked.  Now that we have slow cookers/Crock Pots, this is a great way to fix one of my farm favorite with many variations.  This particular time, I used bacon instead of hot dogs, a small onion and a can of cream of mushroom soup in a slow cooker.  About one cup of chicken broth for the liquid.  I have made it with added mushrooms, cream corn, or without the meat at all.  Some other suggested ingredients would be, garlic cloves, chicken breast, ham chunks, link sausage, or, use your imagination. 

Insulated Hot Beverage Mug That Will Not Leak Or Spill.

Contigo Insulated Travel Mug
These are evidently all the rage as after I found out about them, most of the places I went to find one, they were sold out.  You can get them on Amazon, here.  I got mine at Target but they are also available at WalMart.  There are many different kinds.  I got the 16oz one without a handle.  Some come with handles or carabiners.  Some are plastic.  Some are only for cold drinks.  They come in a lot of different colors but the plain metal one would be a good choice as it won't chip.  Also, be sure you get the one with the push button lid.  This is the only one that will not spill or leak.  It is rumored that Costco has a two pack for $20 but all I could find there, were the cold models.  They advertise they will keep drinks hot for 4 hours.  Maybe if left full and preheated with boiling water.  It will keep 12 oz of coffee at a drinkable temp for 45 minutes or so while you sip it.  The main feature is the lid.  The push button opening is small and it takes some getting used to and if you don't relieve the pressure when beverage is really hot, it will squirt down your throat.  I am a coffee sipper and not a guzzler so this fits me fine.  When you relax the button to let the opening close, they will not spill even if you turn it upside down and shake it. You can actually stuff it in your pocket and for those of you that carry purses, it will carry there as well.  Fits all vehicle cup holders.

I shied away from metal mugs as you cannot microwave them to reheat.  This cup keeps the beverage hot long enough that you usually don't have to reheat.  Besides, if you are boondocked, you don't want to run the generator just to heat up coffee.