Baked Oatmeal
from https://www.seriouseats.com/, Yvonne Ruperti
When one thinks of cooking oatmeal, it's often either on the stovetop or in a microwave. Add water to your oats, and cook until they've softened. I've been doing it this way all my life, never giving the process much thought, because it always worked. And to be honest, when you're just cooking for one or two, and you want it fast, stovetop or microwave is ideal.
But there's another, lesser known way to make oatmeal, and though it takes a little longer, it's super easy and great for entertaining: baked oatmeal. If you never thought oatmeal could be "hands off," let alone considered fit for guests, then you're in luck, because we've got not one, but three great ways to do it.
With baked oatmeal, all you have to do is toss it all in a baking dish and slide it into the oven. In about 30 minutes, you've got a dish of steaming, tender oats. To enrich it, I use milk instead of water, and just one egg lightens the texture. It's the perfect stress-free hot breakfast to serve to guests.
Because oats on their own are rather plain, oatmeal benefits tremendously from a few add-ins to dress it up. A juicy strawberries-and-almond baked oatmeal is bursting with fresh sweet-tart flavor. In my maple-banana baked oatmeal with walnuts, sugar is swapped out for delicious maple syrup. And, for the last recipe, cinnamon-apple baked oatmeal, tart Granny Smith apples provide contrast to the sweet oatmeal. Pre-cooking the apples first in the baking dish gives the apples a head start on softening before baking with the oats.
For optimum texture, be sure to serve immediately, piping hot, as any oatmeal will continue to thicken as it cools.
[Optional toppings for serving: milk or cream, plain/vanilla yogurt or whipped cream, additional maple syrup or honey for drizzling. Other recipes use 2 eggs which helps the mixture bind and stick together so it can be cut into squares for a grab and go breakfast. These recipes have you spoon the oatmeal out.]
Strawberry-Almond Baked Oatmeal
from https://www.seriouseats.com/, Yvonne Ruperti
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
20 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing dish
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease shallow 2-quart baking dish. Scatter oats, almonds, and strawberries into baking dish.
Whisk 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg, milk, and melted butter in medium bowl until combined. Pour into baking dish. Using spoon, gently press oats into liquid to moisten evenly.
Scatter remaining tablespoon brown sugar over top and bake until center is just set, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately, passing extra brown sugar at the table.
Serves 4
Cinnamon-Apple Baked Oatmeal
from https://www.seriouseats.com/, Yvonne Ruperti
1 pound Granny Smith apples (3 to 4), peeled, cored, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
[raisins]
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing dish
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Scatter apples into dish and cover with foil. Bake until apples are just beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.
Remove foil and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Scatter oats and walnuts into dish. Whisk 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg, milk, and melted butter in medium bowl to combine. Pour into baking dish. Using a spoon, gently press and stir oats into milk mixture to moisten and distribute apples evenly.
Scatter remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar over top and bake until center is just set, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately, passing more brown sugar at the table.
Serves 4
Maple-Banana Baked Oatmeal
from https://www.seriouseats.com/, Yvonne Ruperti
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3 ripe bananas, sliced
1/3 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing baking dish
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2-quart shallow baking dish with butter. Scatter oats, walnuts, and bananas into baking dish.
Whisk 1/3 cup maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, egg, milk, and melted butter in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into baking dish. Using a spoon, gently press oat mixture into liquid to moisten evenly.
Scatter brown sugar over the top and bake until center is just set, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately, drizzling extra maple syrup over the top to adjust sweetness.
Serves 4
Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal
from https://www.bonappetit.com/
From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger
Baked oatmeal is a heavenly bread-pudding-like breakfast treat. This recipe’s flavor inspiration comes from the iconic Morning Glory Muffin, which brings a carrot-cake appeal to the picture with shredded carrots, coconut, pecans, raisins and apples.
The truly glorious combination of tastes and textures alone makes it a breakfast worth waking up for, but the ingredients also provide plenty of the nutrition you need to fuel your morning.
Make Ahead: The baked oatmeal can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cover with foil and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or microwave individual portions on HIGH for 1 minute.
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking or instant)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups low-fat milk (1 percent)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 medium Golden Delicious apple (unpeeled), cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 or 2 medium carrots, scrubbed well, then shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking oil spray.
Mix together 1/2 cup of the pecans, 2 tablespoons of the coconut, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
Stir together the oats, baking powder, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together the milk, maple syrup, egg, oil and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.
Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture, stirring to combine, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans and the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut, plus the apple, carrots and raisins.
Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the pecan-coconut mixture. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden at the edges and just set at the center. Serve warm.
8 servings; makes about 8 cups
