I'm always looking for warm, hearty breakfasts to serve on long school days - something that will keep tummies full through morning lessons until lunchtime. Some of our favorites are thick slices of homemade toast with mint hot chocolate (recipe below), german pancakes, weekend waffles, whole wheat waffles, and egg burritos. My sister-in-law makes a really healthy version of baked oatmeal for her kids all the time, so I thought I would give it a try. The recipe I found is admittedly less healthy than my sister-in-law's no sugar version, but it was a hit with 1/2 of my children and I call that good enough.
Baked Oatmeal
3 cups quick oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine the oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the oats and mix until combined. Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan and bake for 40-45 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Serve warm with milk and fruit.
I'm sure you could lessen the sugar content (which I will probably do next time), or even swap it out for honey instead. Since this was my first time making it, I followed the recipe exactly and was pleased with the results. I served it with blueberries and bananas. This is probably the reason why my blueberry-disliking boys weren't big fans. But I am willing to try it again (and again) until they like it. I think it'd be really good with stewed apples. Or a drizzle of maple syrup.
It has a rather long baking time, so it might not work well on busy early school mornings, but it can be baked the day before and kept in the fridge. My sister-in-law bakes hers in oversized muffin tins and freezes them for individual servings when needed.
Does your family eat something like this? I'd love to try out your recipe if you don't mind sharing.
Mint Hot Chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
a dash of salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in the hot water and cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Boil and stir for two minutes. Stir in the milk and heat, but don't boil this time. Once it's warm to your liking, stir in the peppermint extract. Serves 4-6.
You can swap the peppermint for vanilla extract and add a dash of cinnamon for a non-mint version. We love them both!
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i made the baked oatmeal this am! so delicious! thanks for sharing. always enjoy your recipes. :)
ReplyDeleteI eat this everyday, year round! No sugar added. The bananas give it natural sweetness. Fast, easy, and healthy!
ReplyDeleteBanana Berry Oatmeal
1 cup of water
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
A dash of cinnamon
1/2-1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 banana, sliced
Boil water, add oats, flaxseed and cinnamon. Once cooked, add blueberries and banana, while still warm. I make a double batch and serve with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (it also tastes wonderful with milk).
I have cooked large batches and stored in the fridge. But lately, I just fill a large cookie jar on the counter with measured oats, flax seed, and cinnamon. I just microwave an individual serving of 1/2 cup of oats with 1/2 cup of water for 1-minute, then add a sliced banana and 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries from Costco and cook for another 2-minutes. Then I stir in the almond milk. You could omit the blueberries for your boys and substitute raisins or Craisins.
Your recipes sound wonderful! :)
ReplyDeleteHere's a link for a baked oatmeal recipe that I love to make for my family:
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/recipe-for-baked-oatmeal/
You could also change it up and use a large, diced apple instead of the raisins/craisins. It's great topped with warm milk...perfect for a cold January morning!!!