Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

•  2 cups quick oats
• ½ cup packed brown sugar (I used less and it was still quite sweet)
• 1/3 raisins (or cranberries, dates or other dried fruit, or a combo)
• 1 tbsp. of chopped walnuts (I usually don’t have walnuts on hand so I often omit)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ c. skim milk
• ½ c. applesauce (other fruit puree or something similar i.e. pumpkin)
• 2 tbsp. melted butter (or canola oil)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Dash of salt

Other additions/substitutions:

Double for a 9x13 pan (this is what we do for our family)

Wheat bran (add up to ¼ c. and maybe just a little extra milk)

Wheat germ (not too much b/c wheat germ can change the flavor)

Flax meal (great!)

Cranberries, other dried fruit

Almonds

Coconut

A little dash of vanilla extract

Dash of cinnamon

Agave nectar (or honey or maple syrup) instead of brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter (oil), and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture, stir well. Pour oat mixture into 8 inch square pan coated with cooking spray (glass pan cleans up very easily!) Bake for 20 minutes (give or take a few, depending if you’ve really let the oven warm up)

Serve warm – with a drizzle of milk to cool it down a bit.

Notes: Another great make ahead breakfast option. I love mixing it up the night before and just popping it in the oven when I get up. The kids LOVE oatmeal and usually Jordo and EmmaMae then eat it throughout the day. My sister Camille has tried lots of the variations. I'm excited to try the pumpkin variation next!

Source: My sister Camille!