Monday, November 12, 2012

The Farmer's Baked Oatmeal

Autumn has definitely arrived in North Carolina. Have you felt the nip in the air? Weldon has been donning his Carhartts, we need a little fire in the milk parlor most mornings, and I even put the flannel sheets on the bed today. No doubt about it ... winter is on its way!

When the house is feeling kinda chilly, it's the perfect excuse to bake. Excuse? Who needs an excuse to bake?! Anyway, I thought you might like this recipe for baked oatmeal. I make it all year long because I LOVE it! This is a compilation of a few different recipes I tried, and I bet you'll find ways to make it your own, too.

The Farmer's Baked Oatmeal
3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1/2 cup sugar (brown, white, or a combination)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional: cinnamon, wheat germ, flax meal, craisins, raisins, nuts, ...
whatever strikes your fancy

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the edges are getting brown, about 30 minutes. And, voila, breakfast!
Break it up with a spoon, put it in bowls, and top with fresh fruit, milk or cream, or (my favorite) yogurt. This will feed 6 to 8 people, totally depending on how much you eat, of course.
I know what you're thinking: Sounds good, but who has time to bake oatmeal in the morning? So ... bake it whenever you have time and store it in a covered container in the fridge. When you're ready for breakfast, simply put some in a bowl, microwave it for less than a minute, add your toppings, and ENJOY!

Another option for a crazy-busy lifestyle is to bake the oatmeal just a little longer, cool, and cut it into bars. Put the bars into little snack baggies in the fridge and you can grab breakfast on the run.

I'm so glad my life isn't that busy! After milking the cows, we definitely enjoy coming in to sit down, read the paper, and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. This morning when I baked a pan of oatmeal, I added frozen raspberries and chopped pecans. Let me tell you ... delicious!! I'm getting hungry just writing about it :-)