The List: Baked Oatmeal

When I was pregnant with Darling 1 I suffered from morning sickness for a quite a while. Will and I devised a plan to combat this ailment. Will got up extra early and made oatmeal with a little butter, brown sugar and milk and piled high with fresh and dried fruits. Then, he woke me; I got up and ate the oatmeal, then went back to bed. When I got up the next time, I wasn't sick.

Now, this system got trickier when I was pregnant with Darling 2 since I had Darling 1 to keep up with, but we still got up and ate oatmeal to stave off the waves of nausea. Now I'm not talking about instant faux oatmeal pasty crap. I mean Old Fashioned Quaker Oats.

I have always loved a warm bowl of slightly sweet, buttery, creamy oatmeal. And whether it was this early morning, early pregnancy breakfast of champions or something else, my Darlings have also always loved oatmeal. It's a stick-to-your-ribs comforting food for us; breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Years ago, I found a recipe for a baked oatmeal soufflé. It was quite tasty and a nice variation to our oatmeal. Recently, while searching for that recipe, I found another baked oatmeal recipe. I've now made it several times; and it's worth sharing.

This dish is a combination of traditional oatmeal, bread pudding and banana bread. Feel free to experiment with the fruits used. Skeptical? Go ahead, give it a try. It's delicious and hearty and good for you!

Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts/pecans or sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving {I use Buckwheat Honey in place of syrup. A dark as molasses, thick, rich honey. We get it from our "Honey Man" Scott of Scott's Bees & Honey of Chaska, MN. Scott's is the best honey around these parts, by the way!}
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Fair Sprinkling of cinnamon{about 2 teaspoons}
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups or so dried or fresh berries, raisins, craisins, etc. {or whatever you have on hand}

I almost never have everything a recipe calls for. I am the Queen of Substitutions, and my dishes always come out tasty. So, don't be afraid to try different variations of fruit and nuts.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish or pie plate.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup or honey, the milk, egg, half of the butter and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the buttered pan. Sprinkle two-thirds of the fruit over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture.

Pour the milk mixture over the oats and make sure it is evenly distributed and soaks through to the bottom.

Scatter the remaining berries and nuts walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve with a drizzle of the maple syrup or honey if you want it a bit sweeter.

This is perfect for a brunch with friends and/or family on a cold, snowy morning ...or as a cozy evening meal. Enjoy!

Anna

Comments

[Julie Hollabaugh]

Sounds yummy! We love oatmeal too. I'll have to give it a try this week. :)

[sharon]

ohhh, totally trying this! I am anti-boxed cereal right now.