26 weeks of slow cooker recipes continue with my version of Slow Cooker Overnight Goetta!
Okay so if you don’t know what goetta is you don’t know what you are missing. Well, I am here to educate you on this wonderful regional breakfast treat. Slow Cooker Overnight Goetta is so simple to make and freezes so well you will be making batches of this every month.
I bet you can probably come up with other uses for goetta. I have and posted my recipe for Goetta Sliders. Perfect for game-day or morning tailgating. Throw on a fried egg and you are in business.
So what is Goetta you ask??
Goetta is a meat-and-grain sausage or mush of German inspiration that is popular in the greater Cincinnati area. It is primarily composed of ground meat, pin-head oats and spices.
While goetta comes in a variety of forms, all goetta is based around ground meat combined with pin-head or steel-cut oats, the “traditional Low German cook’s way of stretching a minimum amount of meat to feed a maximum number of people. Goetta is typically flavored with bay leaves, rosemary, salt, pepper, and thyme. It contains onions and sometimes other vegetables.
While similar to scrapple in that it uses a grain product for the purpose of stretching out meat to feed more people, goetta looks very different. Scrapple is made with cornmeal while goetta uses steel-cut or chopped oats. The oats in goetta are much coarser than the fine powder used in scrapple and add texture to the dish. Wikipedia
This is a traditional recipe for Goetta and it is not mine. Goetta recipes are plentiful on the internet but I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Overnight Goetta, on Food,com, to be the easiest and tastes just like the German original. I live in the Cincinnati area and Goetta is a regional favorite because of our German heritage. Goetta is basically pinhead or steel cut oats, ground beef and sausage with seasonings, slow cooked then fried up when ready to serve.
Mainly served for breakfast but also as a savory meat dish served any time of day. The slow cooking process for my Slow Cooker Overnight Goetta is the perfect way to create a very creamy mixture. It is important to allow the goetta mixture to set up in loaves before slicing and serving.
If you have never tried Goetta and you are a fan of sausage and oats you will love this recipe.
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- 5 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups pinhead or steel cut oats
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb sausage
- 1 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 4 leaves bay
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- Place water, oats, salt and pepper into the crock pot and mix well.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring 2 or 3 times.
- Add sausage and ground beef. Using a wooden spoon, break up meat into small pieces.
- Add onion, sage, thyme and bay leaves.
- Cook overnight or at least 5 hours on low, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and stir in cornmeal.
- Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Turn out into 2-3 loaf pans lined with plastic wrap, cover and chill in fridge until set.
- When set, turn out and slice in 1/4 to1/2 inch slices. Freeze for up to 6 months
- Fry slices in a little butter or oil until brown and crusty, Flip carefully.
Place a glass or stoneware loaf pan on top of the gotta loaf as it sets up in the fridge. Makes it a little more dense.
First published by Quinn Caudill for www.dadwhats4dinner.com ©2016 all rights reserved.
I will be bringing my Slow Cooker Overnight Goetta recipe to Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Fiesta Friday, Weekend Potluck, What’s Cooking Wednesdays. Check out my Link Parties page for other great places to find new recipes.
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Linda says
I had not heard of goetta before (scrapple, yes – as it’s my dad’s favorite!) so thanks for teaching us something new!! 🙂 Looks yummy 🙂
Quinn Caudill says
Scrapple uses cornmeal and a much finer consistency. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by Linda.
Linda says
Will do Quinn! ????
Carlee says
How interesting! I have never heard of goetta, or scrapple for that matter. It looks like fun to make though! I’m pinning and will have to give it a go soon!
Quinn Caudill says
Very similar except scrapple uses cornmeal and has a smother consistency. Thanks Carlee
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
I’ve never heard of this term, but reading it I was pretty sure that it was created to stretch meat a little further. It sounds delicious, and I bet it is delicious for breakfast.
Quinn Caudill says
Yes, basically the oats are a meal extender. Very much a rustic old world food.
Johanne Lamarche says
Sounds very tasty and interesting.
CJ says
You mention onion in the directions but not ingredients – how much onion? diced?
Quinn Caudill says
Thanks for the great catch. Sorry for the omission. One large onion finely diced. Post has been corrected. Thanks for stopping by.
The Culinary Jumble says
Very interesting – I’d never heard of goetta before! Looks very tasty!
Angie says
Goe… whaaat?! Oh, okay, scrapple. But this looks better than scrapple, much better!
Quinn Caudill says
Oh it is much better. Courser texture than mushy scrapple. I actually like it with a little maple syrup on it.
Hilda says
I remember reading about this a couple of years ago, intending to make it and then as so often happens, forgot. Thanks for the reminder. This time sending the recipe to myself so I don’t forget.
Helen Fern says
my grandmother used to make this but never taught any of us how to do it! Thank you so much for sharing it on What’s for Dinner – I will be trying this one soon!
Quinn Caudill says
Thanks Helen. My parents used to make it when I was a kid. This slow cooker method is supper simple. Thanks for stopping by.
MyHusbandHasTooManyHobbies says
Looks pretty tasty to me! I’ll have to ask my husband (the grocery shopper) if he knows where to get it. I’m sure my family would love it. Thank you for sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday! Pinning (to hopefully make and try myself) and of course, to share with everyone 🙂 Tweeted too! Have a great week!
carolinescookingblog says
Goetta is a new one to me too but sounds like it would be tasty!
Quinn Caudill says
It is pretty good. Thanks for stopping by Caroline.
FrugalHausfrau says
Definately a new one on me! And my Grandpa was German, my Grandma Irish – you’d think it would have been a perfect dish for them!! 🙂 Happy Throwback Thursday!! 🙂
Donna says
Wow, this a new food to me but your recipe looks tasty! Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday!
Marie says
I live in the Cincinnati area and we there is a GoettaFest every year (though I’ve never been). It’s so readily available I’ve never thought of making my own. Thanks for sharing this recipe and thanks for linking up at Merry Monday!
Quinn Caudill says
Hi Marie. What part of town do you live in. I’m in Liberty Twp. Yes I usually purchase Gliers or get it from Findlay Market. It was so easy I don’t think I will purchase it again. Glad to know another Cincinnati blogger.
Pamela says
My family was from Cincinnati and this was like one of the first things I learned to make. Take it from me…it is delicious. I make it every winter and eat it every morning for breakfast. I love cooking mine in bacon grease cause it gets sooo crunchy. Try the crock pot one as it has made it so much easier.
QUINN says
Thanks so much for stopping by and your love of Goetta. It is hard to find outside of Cincinnati. I just made another two batches and individual freeze slices so we can eat them through out the year. I am with you the cruncher the better! Have a great day!