Baked Oatmeal

Most of the people in my tribe like oatmeal.

There's only one who doesn't really prefer it.

Maybe that's because I didn't train her up right?

My youngest cherub doesn't really care for oatmeal,

while my oldest cherub would eat it on most any morning.

The Mr. grew up at his grandparents eating "hot cereal."

That, for some reason, has always kind of grossed me out.

I don't know why.

But every time he says, "want me to make some 'hot cereal'?" 

I just think to myself, "can't you just say 'oatmeal'?"

Anyway . . .

remember the recent trip to visit our boy cherub at college?

Where we went to the breakfast place but only had two choices?

One of those was baked oatmeal.

 . . . or, in honor of the Mr, 'baked hot cereal'!  (insert laughing emoji!)

Of course, the Mr. ordered baked oatmeal for breakfast.

Being a good wife, I offered myself a bite of his breakfast.

That's what we do.

By "we," I mean "me."

I share his food with him.

I almost always want at least one bite of whatever he ordered.

Just to see if I would ever want to order it.

Or figure out how to make it.

This bite paid off!

I decided it was good and I would want to make some to have at home.

I looked up a lot of recipes,

and there are some good ones out there.

But I made this one.

For one reason, I had bananas that needed to be used.

This seemed like a good thing to use them in.

Rather than banana bread.

Which is equally, or maybe even more delicious, than the baked oatmeal.

After I made the baked oatmeal,

I cut it into breakfast portions, wrapped, and froze them for an easy-go-to breakfast.

Now, we've only had the servings after it was made,

and haven't tried re-heating if from the freezer.

But I think it's going to be fine.

I would recommend taking the individually wrapped portion from the freezer and placing it in the refrigerator the night before.

Then, the next morning, just give it a little zap in the microwave for a hot breakfast.

That would be a hot baked oatmeal breakfast,

not a hot hot cereal breakfast!

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups oats 

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used pecans)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 medium ripe bananas

1 large egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup oil (or unsweetened applesauce to reduce calories)

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla (I used  1/4 tsp. pecan flavoring and 3/4 tsp. vanilla flavoring)

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

In a small bowl, place the peeled bananas and mash well.  Allow to sit until ready to use.

 

Mix the oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a medium sized bowl.

 

To the bananas, add the beaten egg, milk, oil, syrup, butter, and vanilla and stir together.

 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until incorporated.

 

Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper, or well grease the pan.

 

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set and cooked through.

 

Allow the baked oatmeal to set for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan, if you lined the pan with parchment.  It will easily lift out.

 

Serve with a bit of cream and sliced fruit, if desired.