A protein packed breakfast that is reminiscent of a sweet potato pie.
Ingredients
¼ cup quinoa
1¾ cup rolled oats
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ cups milk of choice
¾ cup (about 6 oz.) mashed sweet potato
⅓ cup chopped pecan pieces
Method
Cook quinoa according to package directions, and cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and line an 8” x 8” pan with parchment paper, set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together oats and next 6 ingredients, through the salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
Pour milk mixture into oat mixture and stir to combine. Fold in mashed sweet potatoes and cooked quinoa, then fold in the pecans.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until oatmeal is set and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Let cool slightly and serve warm, or cool completely before refrigerating and reheat to serve. Enjoy!
I will sum up how this recipe was conceived in verse:
My love for grains runs deep
Farro, quinoa, wheat
Boiled or baked
Many dishes to make
But oatmeal is a treat
Not much to say about this one. I love oatmeal, and quinoa, and sweet potatoes and thought they would make a tasty baked oatmeal flavor reminiscent of sweet potato pie. Quinoa brings a nutty flavor that enhances the warm spices used to flavor the oatmeal. Roasting the sweet potato to mash it is my preferred method because they are much easier to peel after baking, but boiling the potato works too.
It is crucial to cook the quinoa before adding it to the oatmeal mixture. I initially tried putting it in the batter raw thinking it would absorb liquid as it bakes. It absorbed some of the liquid but was still a little crunchy and the quinoa taste was overwhelming. Using the same amount of dry quinoa, and cooking it before adding to the batter, yields a pleasantly nutty flavor without tasting too much like quinoa.
Whether you are a quinoa and sweet potato lover like myself, or are just searching for a new and interesting breakfast, I hope you give this recipe a try. This baked oatmeal is truly more than the sum of its parts, combining flavor elements from each ingredient without tasting like a begrudgingly ~healthy~ breakfast. Happy baking!