I hope you don’t mind another post about food this week, because I have a fantastic recipe for you: Baked Oatmeal.
I’m not normally an oatmeal person — there’s something about the liquidy mushiness that gets to me. Or maybe it’s that I never know how to season it, or that it’s not filling enough, or I don’t have the patience to play around with it in the morning when I’m starving and I just want to eat NOW. Whatever the case, this recipe cures all ills. It’s so good that I ate the entire batch without saving any for Mr. Savvy — but that’s all right. It gives me an excuse to make this again.
I started with this version of Baked Oatmeal from Shelterrific, and then made a few changes. This is one of those things that you can throw together, hop in the shower, and finish up just in time to take this out of the oven. You can bake it for longer and come out with oatmeal bars the consistency of brownies, or bake it for less time and end up with oatmeal that has a chewy crust and gooey interior. You can save the leftovers and eat them for dessert, or for lunch, or a snack, or for whenever you need a quick forkful of mapley goodness. You can double this and feed an army, or halve it and have enough for one decadent breakfast.
Baked Oatmeal
- 1/4 C. vegetable oil OR 1/3 C. applesauce
- 1/2 C. maple sugar
- 1/4 C. molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2-1/2 C. rolled oats
- 1-1/2 t. baking soda
- 3/4 t. salt
- 3/4 C. milk
- OPTIONAL: cinnamon, raisins, chopped apples or peaches, chopped nuts, or anything that sounds good that you’d probably throw in with your regular oatmeal or homemade granola.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine oil/applesauce, maple syrup, molasses, and eggs, and beat until well combined. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 8×8 pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Top with maple syrup, milk, heavy cream, or enjoy as is. It’s also great cold from the fridge.
I’m particularly fond of a deep maple flavor, which is why I added the molasses. You’re more than welcome to take it out. I also reduced the oil because I found the original recipe too buttery for my taste. That, and I love applesauce, and will add it to anything I can.
The more I make simple food like this, the more I realize I’m not one for cooking with a lot of ingredients, or making meals that take too much time. I’d rather have easy food made with whole ingredients, and leftovers that keep well in the fridge. There are a few posts out there that say it better than I can, like this post called Our Favorite Convenience Food: It’s Not What You Think by Katie from Making This Home, and My Die-Hard Minimalist Kitchen by Sunny from Simplicity by Sunny. They both talk about making meals you love with a kitchen that isn’t perfect or well-stocked with appliances. It just goes to show that you can love your food without cooking like a pro. Yum.
__________________________________________________________
©2010 at Simple Savvy, the simple living blog where it’s doubtful that Mr. Savvy will have any from the next batch, too. Image courtesy of Caro Wallis.
Welcome to Simple Savvy! Updated twice a week with posts about my quest to live a mindful, eco life.
I’m a recent convert to muesli, which is even simpler than oatmeal, and not mushy. Just uncooked oats, mixed with whatever you want, which in my case is dried currants, sunflower seeds, and/or almonds.
Muesli, eh? Do you mix it with milk and eat it like cereal? I must look this up. Although uncooked oats seem a little rough on the digestive system. Hm.