Baked Oatmeal

The grey, bare branches (yes, there are trees in NY) bore the freezing air while a smell that reminds me of freshly baked oatmeal cookies wafted through my warm home. Is there a better way to start the last day of 2012?

Baked oatmeal is also uniquely appropriate for New Years because it captures something old and something new. Old people eat oatmeal. But baking oatmeal is, for me, a new concept.

By baking the oats, the top layer hardens, adding crispiness that makes oatmeal less of a mushy experience. The dish provided a wholesome but not rich breakfast. It was super easy and the recipe is wonderfully adaptable. Feel free to add different nuts or fruits or raisins or whatever else it is that you like in your oatmeal. I adapted (only slightly: less butter and less sugar) a recipe for baked oatmeal from Epicurious.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 bananas, cut into thin slices
• 2 cups of blueberries

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter a baking dish
3. Mix oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Put a layer of half-ish of the blueberries and bannas in the bottom of the pan.
5. Dump the oats layer on top.
6. Whisk together the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla.
7. Pour that over the oats.
8. Shake the pan a little to move the milk to the bottom.
9. Top with the rest of the nuts and blueberries.
10. Pop in the oven for 45 minutes.
11. Enjoy!

This is Fooducated’s last and 301th post in 2012.  Have a wonderful last 2012 day and an amazing 2013 (that hopefully includes reading Fooducated)!