Photo by Cool Librarian
I have always loved oatmeal. Warm, filling, nutty. . . it is a breakfast that can put a smile on my face. Probably a result of growing up in the bitter climes of Maine~anything steaming hot for breakfast on a cold winter day was good.
I know that there are very varied feelings out there about oatmeal. As a matter of fact we are “divided in our own house”, Buddy won’t touch the stuff and Princess thinks it is a treat! I think Yankee Bill can take it or leave it.
The fact remains that oatmeal is a great frugal staple. It is inexpensive, nutritious, full of fiber and~if you buy “old fashioned” instead of quick~versatile as a filler in cooking or baking. You don’t see it as much any more, but if you look through your grandmother’s old cookbooks you can probably find a couple of ground beef recipes that used dry oatmeal mixed in to stretch the meat (meatloaf, meatballs, sloppy joes) or even to thicken soups & stews.
Here is a slightly different way to make your morning oatmeal that ups the protein content a bit and keeps you from monitoring a pot on the stove. It makes about a brownie pan full.
Baked Oatmeal
1/2 C Oil or Applesauce
1 C Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
3 C Uncooked Old Fashioned Oats (not quick)
2/3 tsp baking powder
1tsp Salt
1C Milk (I use skim)
-Mix all of the ingredients together.
-Pat into a 9X9 ungreased dish (a brownie pan works well).
-Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
-Serve warm with milk.
Variations:
Add spices: 1-2 tsp cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin pie spice or Jenn’s Experimental Baking Spice
Add fresh or dried fruit to taste. Raisins &/or apples are classic, but peaches, Craisins, or anything else that strikes your fancy could work.
More great posts using oatmeal:
Recipe: Oatmeal Fruit Bars
Recipe: Homemade Granola
Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Drop Cookies
Recipe: Oatmeal Fruit Cookie in Jar Mix
Recipe: Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
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This sounds kind of like an oatmeal bread pudding – will have to give it a try!
I always wanted to try baked oatmeal, as oatmeal’s my favorite breakfast. Do you think you could make it up the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning?
Jane
I got this recipe several years ago from a relative and make it frequently. I’ve never seen it anywhere else online. The version I use is slightly different: it calls for 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tsps baking powder. This amount of sweetness has always seemed perfect to me — and I like sweet things! I’ve learned by accident that if you leave baking powder out completely, the result is kind of like those soft chewy granola bars. But I wonder what the difference is between using 2/3 tsp vs. 2 tsp?
@Jane, yes, you can mix this up the night before and bake it in the a.m. (I’m about to do that myself right now!) A 10″ cast iron skillet works great to bake it in — it gets nicely browned and a bit crunchy at the edges.
My boys both love oatmeal, but I was looking for a change. A little extra protein is always welcome too.
I tried your recipe this morning and it was a hit! My 5 year old had 3 helpings and my 2 year old had seconds as well. My husband said I should definitely make it again.
I did follow Swimmermom’s advice and I used only 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I like sweet things, but that really was sweet enough. I may even try reducing the sugar a little more next time.
I couldn’t decided between using the oil or the apple sauce, so I split the difference and used 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce.
I wasn’t sure if the end result would be more like a cake or more like oatmeal porridge. My husband and I agreed that it was a cross between the two. Next time I will use a slotted spoon to serve it, rather than a pancake flipper!
Thanks for a great recipe.
I have 15 people for which to cook breakfast this weekend…
Do you think I could use a dutch oven and triple the recipe? just leave the lid off?
I think that if the only difference is the size of the container it “should” work- But if the dutch oven and tripling are going to make the oatmeal concoction deeper then you are going to have to keep an eye on it when you cook it to ensure the middle gets heated all the way through. If you are at all concerned I might suggest making it in 2 9X13 pans side by side in the oven. If you do go with the deeper dutch oven, then I’d keep and eye on it, and if the sides seem to be getting too cooked before the center is done then I’d turn down the heat a bit and cook it for longer.
Sorry-I know it’s not a specific answer!
Have you tried this with steel cut oats? Have you tried freezing this?
Meg-no to both. I think that freezing the oatmeal would make it even more mushy-but why not try making some and just freezing a square for a couple of days to see what happens.