I eat between 30-35 eggs a week. Then I read in the paper you’re only supposed to eat two eggs a week. Hmmmm. So I decided to try a new oatmeal recipe. Manna from heaven. A party in your mouth. It’s that good. And it’s easy and re-heats well. It’s a recipe I adapted from the newspaper. I put my own tweaks on it because there were a lot of ingredients I didn’t like in the original recipe and still others I thought needed to be added. The result: amazing. Best of all, I can make it up ahead of time, throw it in the oven in the morning and enjoy 45 minutes later while I sip my tea and get the bacon on. Sheer bliss. Plus, it lasts several days in the fridge. You’ll love it too!
Before we get started, let’s just make sure we understand our oats. The main difference between steel cut, rolled and instant oats is the extent to which they have been processed. This also gives them their unique texture and varying cook times.
Also called old-fashioned oats or whole oats; rolled oats are a must for this recipe. Their flat, irregularly rounded textured discs are ideal for cooking because they hold their shape better. This is especially true in such recipes as cookies, muffins, granola bars among other baked goods. If you use instant oats in this recipe, you’ll find they may make this dish mushier than you’d prefer.
Baked oatmeal is…
- Sumptuously filling
- Nutrient-dense
- Convenient
- Energizing
- Nourishing
- Cookie equivalent delicious
- Appetite suppressing
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups milk (1% or 2%)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Optional add-ins:
- 1 medium apple peeled & cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (1 cup total)
- 1 or 2 medium carrots, scrubbed well, then shredded (1 cup total)
Optional toppings:
- 1/2 cup raisins or
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- Apple slices
- Chocolate chips
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie plate with cooking oil spray.
- Mix together 1/2 cup of the pecans, 2 tablespoons of the coconut, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the table spoon of brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the milk, maple syrup, egg, oil and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.
- Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture, stirring to combine, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans and 2 tablespoons of coconut. This is also where you’d add the apple, carrot and raisins.
- Pour in the sprayed baking dish. Top with the pecan-coconut mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden at the edges. Serve warm. Top with apple slices. Makes about 8 slices of “pie”
~Make ahead and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cover with foil and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. You can also put in the microwave.
What are you eating for breakfast these days?
Leave a Reply