Breakfast....eat some!

I ran across this recipe a few weeks back and it has quickly become one of my favorites. Baked Oatmeal is fantastic for so many reasons. Oatmeal is fast, it is yummy, it is so good for our bodies, we should all be eating it everyday. Our options are to cook our oatmeal old school on top of the stove, mix it up in a bowl and pop it in the Microwave, or resort to the instant stuff from the grocery. I have tired them all, the stove top method can boil over not to mention it is boring and no mater how I tried I could not jazz it up enough to satisfy me. The microwave version just makes me mad cause it makes a mess, I have to use a huge bowl to keep it from becoming the Oatmeal Blob that takes over the kitchen while it cooks in there. Last we come to the instant stuff, it is ok but the one I like the best is really expensive.

I am so glad I found Baked Oatmeal. The original recipe is from Cooking Light, they do good stuff right? I have made it several times and tinkered with it, adding some spices, different fruits and even a scoop of flax seeds for those important Omega fatty acids. I decide I needed to post it today with my notes and photos so all of you can get on the band wagon.

It might seem like work, but keep in mind, if you bake up a batch you will have breakfast ready to go in the fridge for the rest of the work week or at least several days if there are more of you eating on it. Besides that look at the photos, it looks like desert!

Here is the recipe. I added a couple of tablespoons of flax seeds. Sometimes I dump in frozen blueberries, I like chunky applesauce, and I always use Old Fashioned oats. If you like a smoother texture oatmeal try the quick cooking oats instead. For the left overs heat a serving in the microwave for 1 min, add a little milk and eat it up!

Baked Oatmeal
(Source: Cooking Light)
2 cups uncooked oats
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins (or dried fruit of your choice, frozen works also)
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups milk ( I used skim milk, that is what I drink)
½ cup applesauce ( I used chunky, love the chunks)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg in a separate bowl. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.