Baked Oatmeal

Today was the second time I made this scrumptious baked oatmeal recipe. I must admit that I'm not a big fan of oatmeal in general. I find it a bit mushy; just not really my thing. Anyways, this recipe appealed to me since it was baked and packed with lots of crunchy nuts and seeds. I imagined it tasting more like a hearty breakfast crumble, which indeed it did, only much less sweet.

The first time I made the recipe pretty much exact and it was quite good but this time I changed it up a bit and I think it's about perfect now. This is such a simple and warming weekend breakfast that can be quickly reheated all week long for a healthy meal before work or school. That's just what I intend to do this week. I hope you will too.

Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal:

Yields 1, 2 qt gratin dish (about 10-12 servings)

2 cups rolled oats ( I use certified gluten free oats)

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp quatre epices (or the equivalent measure of white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup light coconut milk

1 cup low-fat milk (or almond milk)

2 ripe pears, cored and chopped into 1" pieces

1/4 cup fresh cranberries (if frozen, do not defrost)

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, cranberries, salt, and spices. Stir to combine.

2) In another small bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup, coconut milk & milk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until all is well incorporated.

3) Spread the chopped pears and fresh cranberries in the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish. Pour the oat mixture over top and gently level with a spatula. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown. Serve warm.