Basic Baked Oatmeal

This basic baked oatmeal template can be the base for a multitude of variations, but is also delicious on its own.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• ½ tsp. ginger

• ¼ tsp. nutmeg

• ¼ tsp. salt

• 1½ cups milk of choice

• ½ cup applesauce

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• Mix-ins (Optional, see note)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8" x 8" pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, apple sauce, egg, and vanilla.

4. Pour milk mixture into oat mixture and mix until well combined.

5. Fold in any desired mix-ins.

6. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the middle is set and the edges are starting to pull away from the side of the pan. Let cool slightly before serving. If making ahead, cool completely before refrigerating and reheat to serve. Enjoy!

Note: In general about 1 cup of fruit plus ¼ cup of nuts is an adequate quantity of mix-ins. You can also get creative with substituting the apple sauce for an equal amount of other mashed fruit or vegetable such as banana or sweet potato. Mix-ins I have tried that work well with this recipe are:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries with ¼ cup almonds

• 1 diced pear with ¼ cup chopped crystalized ginger

• 1 sliced banana with an additional ½ tsp. cinnamon

• ⅓ cup raisins with 2 tbsp. chopped walnuts

• 1 small diced apple with ¼ cup almonds (pictured above)

Baked oatmeal is my go-to breakfast. I like to have something that I can reheat quickly, but is still substantial, filling, and relatively nutritious. I whip up a batch of baked oatmeal just about every Sunday so I can enjoy a hassle free breakfast throughout the week. Each week I try to pick a new oatmeal flavor so it doesn't feel like I'm eating the same thing for breakfast all the time. Some of the most interesting combinations I've

made are a pecan pie inspired oatmeal around Thanksgiving, a gingerbread baked oatmeal around Christmas, and a sweet potato quinoa variation. The possibilities are truly endless! I hope you give it a try and put your own spin on the recipe. Happy baking!