Unfortunately every recipe can’t be a winner.
I set out to make some creamy banana steel cut oats in the crock pot last night and had high hopes for the end result as I went to sleep.
When I went to scoop the oats into a bowl this morning, they stuck to the sides of the crock pot and looked pretty horrendous. I added a splash of milk and stirred everything up so they were at least salvageable, but they definitely weren’t something to write home about.
I topped the oats with peanut butter, unsweetened coconut flakes and pecans.
The oats actually ended up tasting pretty darn delicious, but at first glance they looked awful. I just scooped around the oats that stuck to the sides and all was fine.
I’m hoping to give a few more crock pot breakfast recipes a try as the Crock Pot Challenge continues. I’ve seen some phenomenal ones out there! Hopefully they’ll be a little more successful than today’s attempt.
Workout
Today’s workout began with 20 minutes on the elliptical before it was time to make my abs burn with a core circuit workout from Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp.
One again, the scorpion exercise absolutely schooled me. Yikes!
Question of the Morning
- What is the last recipe you attempted that didn’t quite work out the way you thought it would?
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It was actually crock-pot oats that I tried and failed! It stuck to the sides and was burnt. No fun! Even the center wasn’t delicious like yours was. Oh well, you live and learn, right? 🙂
i read the comments on a few recipe posts about crock pot steel cut oats on some awesome food blogs and it sounds like this is an issue for a LOT of people. it seems like the temperatures of crock pots vary quite a bit.
A friend of mine told me that if you spray the inside with non-stick spray before adding the ingredients, not mixing the ingredients, and putting the crock pot on “warm” rather than “low” or “high”, for about 10 hours makes it perfect. I have yet to try it since I’m still recovering from my failed crock pot oatmeal recipe 😉 But I plan to very soon!
Missy that sounds like a good idea. We have had a bad oatmeal dish and I thought it was because the crockpot was too hot. I will have to try this trick!
I have found that if you spray the dish first and then use the keep warm setting overnight they turn out really good!
Even though it didn’t look pretty, it still sounds pretty good! I constantly have problems with omelettes flipping properly. When I’m just making them with no photography intentions, things go beautifully. But it’s like my pan knows when I’m making one for the blog and decides not to cooperate!
Pretty or not, at least it taste good 😉
Homemade Turkey Burgers. Like, the kind that you make from ground turkey. Usually, they taste pretty good, but OF COURSE the one time that I have my friends over for dinner and muster up the courage to cook for them (I’m very shy about cooking for other people) we were out of certain ingredients, so at the suggestion of my MOTHER (love her!) I substituted other things and this for that etc. They were dry. And by dry, I mean desert summer, no rain for months, sun never goes down dry. And lumpy/crumbly. And just…bad.
“And by dry, I mean desert summer, no rain for months, sun never goes down dry.” <-- that made me laugh out loud! i'm sorry the burgers didn't turn out well, but you described them perfectly. 🙂 ha!
Vegetarian crock pot lasagna! Worst dish I’ve ever made and one of the only times my husband wasn’t shy about asking me not to make it again. I knew it didn’t have enough seasoning when I looked at the recipe, but I followed it anyway. Also, the pasta didn’t cook evenly. If you find a good crockpot lasagna recipe, please share!
oh no! crock pot lasagna is on my list of recipes to try! i will definitely keep you posted if i find a good one.
http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-spinach-lasagna/
Try this one; Jenna’s method works great!
I found this Crock-Pot Lasagna recipe by Jessica Seinfeld:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 3 hours and 50 minutes
Serves 6-8
ingredients
2 28-ounce cans
crushed tomatoes
4 cloves
garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons
dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
2 15-ounce containers
fresh ricotta
2 cups
grated mozzarella (8 ounces)
1/4 cup
grated Parmesan
16
lasagna noodles (about 3/4 of a 1-pound box)
5 ounces
baby spinach (about 6 cups packed)
directions
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper (12 turns on pepper mill). In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.
In the bottom of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 4 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary.) Spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 4 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
helpful hints
Be sure to cover the noodles completely with sauce so they don’t dry out
Break the noodles to fit in the slow cooker as best you can; a little layering is okay
Test the noodles for doneness by inserting a paring knife in the middle of the lasagna (if it goes in easily it’s done)
Something similar like that happened to me! I made crockpot overnight apple cinnamon oatmeal and parts got stuck to the sides of my crockpot too. Despite the fact that some got stuck, it still tasted fantastic and I would make it again in a heartbeat. I think maybe next time I’ll try spraying the inside with non-stick spray. That might help 🙂
What? A crock pot recipe can’t be bad! haha That stinks. Better luck next time, eh? I tried to make a tofu pad thai dish last week that wasn’t a total flop but definitely didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped.
I’ve definitely had my fair share of cooking flops too! I used to think I could throw anything together to bake desserts but have since learned that following some sort of recipe is pretty vital!
My crockpot oatmeal NEVER turns out, so when I want to make steel cut oats ahead of time, I just make Angela’s (OhSheGlows) make-ahead steel cuts oats. Four servings, not burnt, and you can switch out toppings as you see fit. 🙂
Have you tried using a water bath?? You put your oatmeal in a smaller dish inside the crockpot and fill the sides of the crockpot with a few inches of water. It “steams” and cooks the oatmeal but it doesn’t stick to the sides. You can set it on low overnight and then just give a quick stir in the morning. I know some people put a plate on the bottom to lift the dish up away from the hating element too. You should give it a try.
whoaaa. i’ve never heard of that. definitely looking into this. thanks!!
I always make my crock pot steel cut oats in a water bath. I put my ingredients in a four-cup glass measuring cup, set that in the crock and put water in around it until it comes halfway up the side of the cup. They come out perfectly every time. I do have to adjust the amounts a recipe calls for sometimes, though.
I have to agree with the other two..I found you website looking for a new recipe to fix them..my original recipe advised to do it in a smaller bowl inside the cooker with a water bath. .and I’ve always had excellent results!! Try it again!
I sort of got “banned” from the crock pot from my husband! HA! For some reason my crockpot burns everything (even if it is set on low!) The worst was a broccoli cheddar soup that turned into a greenish orange solid 🙂 YUM!!!
My last new recipe fail was actually dinner last night!! I made lasagna rolls, but followed a new recipe that called for lemon zest mixed in with the ricotta mixture. It was an epic fail as far as my husband and i were concerned. My two daughters loved it though!
I signed up for Tina’s BBBC this round too (thanks to you!!) and those scorpions whooped my butt this AM too! Last week after the core workout, my butt hurt worse than my core!!
I make crockpot oats all the time, but the first few times I had the same issues you did. The trick I found to work is to put the oats and water into small heat safe dish ( I use a glass Pyrex bowl) that has been greased. Sit the bowl directly into the crock pot bowl and cook as usual. I use 1 c oats and 5 c water. It makes about 5 servings so I throw the bowl into the fridge and eat them all week.
What about the crock pot liners? I’ve tried them a few times and it makes clean up so easy. You just have to make sure your crock pot will be more than half full otherwise the plasticy bag likes to stick to the side of the crock pot.
I attemped “monkey cookies” which are oats, cocoa powder, bananas, and vanilla extract combined together and somehow they turned out awful! I’m not sure how I can mess up something so easy, but they were pretty bad! Hahah!
I actually tried your Nutella Granola last night! First off for SOME strange reason they made my oven smoke as they baked for 20 minutes. Perhaps it was because I put them on wax paper? After they were done and cool, they were ROCK hard! I bit a few pieces off and the taste was good but I definitely would have broken some teeth trying to eat those suckers!
I think it’s because of the wax paper, I’ve made the same mistake! Next time try parchment paper instead 🙂
Next time I’ll just go with a greased pan like she says in the directions! I tried getting out of having to wash the pan last night! My laziness punished my belly! lol
At Thanksgiving this year, I made some cranberry/orange relish and forgot to add the sugar. The problem was, I didn’t realize till a week later that I had forgotten it. So nobody liked it and we couldn’t understand why? lol
I had to LOL because my sister forgot to put sugar in her pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and didn’t know why everyone took a piece and only ate a bite. She found out the reason after she took a bite of it herself. I forgot to put sugar in some chocolate cookies before. They couldn’t be fixed either. I tried to put frosting on them and they were still bitter. I bet your relish as a just a “little” sour!!
Just a little! 😉
haha oh no sorry about the recipe fail :/ Maybe you should try hot chocolate oats instead…those sound better anyways right? 😉 http://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-hot-chocolate-steel-cut-oatmeal/ Happy Wednesday 🙂
Well. I think they look great! Maybe it’s just all of the toppings… They make everything better 🙂
Fail for me: pureed soup. I don’t like smooth soup. I’m a chunky kind of gal, and the carrot soup that I tried to make- It worked, but it just didn’t “work,” you know?
I am glad your oats ended up tasting good! I have had a few recipe fails in my day, it makes me so upset when it happens too. I did however have a success in the form of your crock pot garam masal chicken, it was delicious and I cannot wait to make it again!
I had a crock pot fail when I got lazy. I made chicken noodle soup in the crock pot, and the chicken, vegetables, and flavor were PERFECT. But I put the noodles in in the morning too because I didn’t want to mess around with that later. Terrible idea 🙂
I tried a new recipe for peanut butter banana bread last weekend, and it didn’t come out right at all! You’re right-they can’t all be winners!
did u spray your crock pot first? i find that sometimes help. i have pancake fails all the time – still edible just not pretty!
Your oats look yummy, though! The first time i ever tried to make homemade mac and cheese, it was a disaster!
Me and my friends were just gushing over how much we love oats 🙂 Hahaha theyre just so versatile and healthy!
I recently made oatmeal banana muffins that were “healthy,” but they were way too dense and not sweet enough. Sometimes baking needs a little unhealthy!
Two of my favorites crock pot recipes are:
http://youngmarriedchic.com/2011/10/slow-chicken-chili-new-fave-dinner/
http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-tex-mex-chicken-lettuce-wraps/
They’re both big favorites amongst my friends and so simple!
Could’ve fooled me! Those oats look delicious, but I’ll take your word for it. I’m glad I’m not the only one who really tries to salvage food fails! 🙂
Crock Pot oatmeal is on my list of things to try, but I’ve feared this happening, too! I’m going to have to remember some of the suggestions in the comments. I don’t want to make the clean up anymore work than it is normally. 😉
I had trouble with crock pot oats too! I loved waking up to the smell, but I couldn’t get myself to eat them (too burnt). You win some, you lose some 🙂
This happened to me too when I tried to make my steel cut oats in the crockpot! You are not alone! More liquid, perhaps?
Even with your “fail” your breakfast looks really yummy! I never think to dress up my oats with coconut or nuts but I may need to venture out a bit.
Haha most recipes I try don’t work out super well… Currently I’ve been trying to perfect the omelet! Still working on it…
My hubby tried to make oatmeal in the crockpot and it was awful! I think he let it cook for too long. It may be worth it to try again if you find a recipe that works.
Two tips for oatmeal in the slow cooker: first, make sure you butter the bottom and sides of your crockpot. Use a paper towel and a pat of butter, and really slather the bottom and sides. This helps me enormously with the sticking issue. The second, even on low, my crockpot only needs 4 hours to make steel cut oats. I don’t think this can be an overnight thing unless you have a timer and a delay start on your crockpot!
I tried to make crock pot steel cut oats one time too, and had the same result! Ugh!
I read a recipe online that said it needs to be done in a smaller slow cooker…or double the recipe?? That is what detered me from making it 🙁 Let us know if you perfect the recipe!!
Oh boy, where to begin.. I guess I’d say this carrot/rosemary/lentil soup I made once because it looked so pretty in the magazine I pulled the recipe from. It wasn’t until after I made that I realized I’m not even the biggest fan of mushy carrots OR lentils. I also tried to make this lightened up veggie pot pie not too long ago… I ate it, but it was, as you said, nothing to write home about. When cooking, often things sound soooo much better in my head than the actual execution haha I give kudos to people who develop actually GOOD recipes daily. Needless to say, I’m better at baking. 😉
ps. My first crockpot meal of the challenge is up on my blog today; Chili, if you’re interested!
Fail proof overnight steel cuts… One chopped apple, 1 cup oats, 2 cups water, being to boil, remove from heat, cover and sit overnight. In the am add one cup milk of choice while heating. I swear they are perfect every time!!!
Whenever I try to “healthify” something a little too much, it’s always a fail. I guess why mess with a good thing?
Bah! I hate it when a recipe turns out to be a fail, especially when high hopes were involves. Its funny because I’ve heard a lot of people rave about making steel cut oats in the crock pot… maybe you just used a bad recipe? And speaking of which, my last recipe fail was a batch of gingersnap cookies. They actually came out delicious, but not gingersnappy in the least – there was almost no spice or kick to them, so they ended up tasting like plain old sugar cookies. Not a bad thing, but not what I was going for.
As long as they taste good it’s a win right?! The overnight oats I had for breakfast yesterday not only looked miserable but also tasted miserable. Gotta have the bad ones to appreciate the good 🙂
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2013/01/twenty-favorite-slow-cooker-recipes-south-beach-diet-phase-one.html
Check out Kalyns site; here’s some yummy looking ones!
Fail Butternut Squash Casserole. I left the squash in the refrigerator, so I couldn’t cut into it -and ended up burning myself trying to soften it in the microwave. When I roasted the squash that I managed to salvage, I left bananas on top of the toaster oven and burnt those, too. My house smelled like rotten bananas for a week.
The dish ended up coming out tasty, but it wasn’t worth the aggrivation!
That’s good they were at least salvageable! It’s the worst when all is ruined! What do you think went wrong if you don’t mind me asking? I’m glad they still tasted good! The last thing I messed up was pasta when I tried to use greek yogurt for sauce… Apparently it doesn’t hold it’s texture when you heat it up it looks like cottage cheese!
I need to learn how to use a crock pot, Josh and I just registered for one, but I’ve never done anything with one before!
I absolutely love apple cinnamon oatmeal in the crock pot! It’s a great way to get rid of apples that are about to go bad. I sprayed the inside of my crock pot with nonstick spray and some of it still stuck, but it came off easily.
I used this recipe 🙂 http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Apple_Cinnamon_Oatmeal
I used almond milk and splenda with mine and they turned out delicious. I only cooked them for 7 hours, thankfully my crock pot has a timer so they didn’t overcook.
My recipe fail came from Pinterest (where I get a TON of great recipes). I made Ground Beef Risotto. Oh it was bland. Too much work for no flavor. My poor husband dumped a ton of ketchup on it to make it salvageable. That one went on the Pinterest “Recipe Fail” board. But hey, it never hurts to try something different!
Oh man, I feel like I’m always failing in the kitchen! The last recipe I made that really didn’t turn out and was damn near inedible was my attempt to make “pudding” with avocado and cocoa powder. I just didn’t like it at all…I think I tried using almond milk instead of coconut milk or something. It was pretty gross.
Bummer…at least they look pretty tasty. Glad you were able to salvage them….I hate wasting food. I’ve done steel-cut oats in the crockpot that came out pretty tasty. Maybe I should recreate them for the challenge!
You couldn’t tell that it was a recipe “fail!” They look SO good, especially with the pecans. Can’t wait to see the other crock pot recipes you try!