Crockpot Wheat Berries and breakfast

Rapid City was predicted to be in a huge snowpocalypse (to steal a phrase from BoB). During a blizzard, I always feel compelled to bake and cook comforting meals that are best eaten with a cup of coffee or cocoa while watching the snow blow out the window. Rob went out yesterday morning to get groceries and stocked up on great ideas for supper: pot roast with potatoes and carrots, goulash, and ham and scalloped potatoes. He even got us jalapeno-cheddar cream cheese from B&L Bagels, so we can have delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with soup ... but what about breakfast? Nothing tastes better on a wintery morning than oatmeal. It's thick, warm and filling, and delicious with a whole bunch of "additives" like dried fruit, nuts, milk, etc. The only problem is that we had maybe 1/4 c. of steel cut oats left. Crud. I rummaged through the cupboards looking for a good alternative. What about wheat berries?

I vaguely remembered seeing a breakfast wheat berry recipe on one of the many blogs I read. After a few minutes of searching, I found the one I was thinking of, from 101cookbooks: Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl Recipe. I didn't have all of the ingredients she calls for, but I can certainly improv if I have a good starting idea!

Crockpot Wheat Berries

2 c. wheat berries
6 c. of water

Combine in a 3 quart crockpot. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours.

Although I don't know for certain, I suspect that the wheat berries should be thoroughly rinsed before cooking to remove residual starch (much like you do for sushi rice). The wheat berries were cooked after 7 hours, but they were "gummy" and had a lot of residual starch in the pot. Before making the rest of breakfast, I rinsed the starch off about 1 cup of the wheat.

Wheat Berries with cooked apples, cranberries and pecans
A modification of Heidi's recipe at 101 Cookbooks.


1 cup cooked wheat berries
1 apple, granny smith, cut in 1/8" slices
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. cranberries
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. pecans

Pour the orange juice over the cranberries and let them soak while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. Toast the pecans by placing them in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and tossing periodically until they are fragrant. Meanwhile, slice the apple. When the pecans are done, chop them and mix with the wheat berries. Wipe out the skillet and add the butter. Toss apples with brown sugar and cinnamon in the melted butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring periodically so the sugar doesn't burn. When the apples are tender, mix with the wheat berries. Wipe out the skillet and cook the cranberries and OJ, just until the OJ reduces slightly and the cranberries are warm. Drain the remaining OJ and all ingredients together. Divide between two bowls. Enjoy!

Breakfast was delicious, but I cooked WAY too many wheat berries. My next task is to find a wheat berry salad recipe!