A Breakfast Favorite

Today I thought I would share one of the ClarkClan’s favorite breakfasts. Baked Oatmeal, Yum! We just love this breakfast. Easy to prepare, filling and most importantly: very tasty.

I have been making this basic Baked Oatmeal recipe for years.

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats (I use old-fashioned)

3/4 cup brown sugar (originally was using 1 cup, but found I could cut that amount with no problems.)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup works well, too)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in cranberries. Spread into a greased 9x13” baking pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes ( my oven never takes that long, about 30 is right for us.)

That is the basic recipe. Now for the fun parts. I end up adding other ingredients for the fun of it. This week I have been adding a cup of cooked, butternut squash. I mix it in with the liquid ingredient, without changing any proportions. The Baked Oatmeal comes out, moist and delicious. I think pumpkin would work equally as well.

This recipe also works very well made up ahead of time. I have made the entire recipe, exactly as written, but instead of putting it in the pan to bake now, I put the mix in a zipper bag, label and freeze. Then all that is needed is to pull a bag out the night before, put it in the refrigerator to thaw, dump it in the pan and bake. This recipe can also be easily doubled. Double all ingredients and put in either two 9x13” pans or one large double cake pan (bake the double cake pan just a bit longer)