Dear Tyler,

This is a terrific question, especially since the crockpot is experiencing a bit of resurgence these days.

First of all for those who aren't as smart as you and me, let's explain that the term "crockpot" is now used to describe all slow cookers. Like the Q-tip, CrockPot is actually a brand name that was so catchy and popular that its name became synonymous for all similar products. Most people will tell you that the original CrockPot from Rival is still the best slow cooker around.

A slow cooker is basically just a big electric casserole dish that cooks food with low, steady, moist heat. Most slow cookers cook for 8 to 12 hours, and the beauty of this method is that over time, the flavors in the pot combine and the result is most often homespun deliciousness.

With the basics out of the way, would you like the good news or bad news first?

What?

The good news... YOU HAVE A CROCKPOT!!!

For the time being, forget about keeping eggs warm. You have a whole world of breakfast possibilities in that electric pot of yours. It's a very unique way to prepare specialty eggs dishes. It's also an ideal way to prepare large amounts of oatmeal and homemade cereal. Scrambled eggs are for sissies compared to these recipes:



Now the bad news. This nasty pair of sentences comes from an article about Salmonella: Eat eggs promptly after cooking. Do not keep eggs warm for more than 2 hours.

The risk of getting Salmonella is extremely low, but that's a risk we don't want to take.

The short answer to your question is yes. You can keep your eggs warm in a crockpot for a couple hours, preferable "while serving" as opposed to "before serving". A crockpot can serve the same purpose as any food warmer. My mother used to serve barbequed short wieners from a crockpot at family parties, and if a crockpot is good enough for mom's barbequed short wieners, it's definitely good enough for scrambled eggs. As a matter of fact, I've always noticed that eggs served from those fancy silver pans with the candles beneath them are dry. You won't have that problem with a crockpot.

Thank you very much for your question. Have fun with your crockpot and drop me a line if you discover any terrific new breakfast recipes.

Your pal,
Mr Breakfast


This article was written by Mr Breakfast (aka Eddy Chavey).