Delicious Baked Oatmeal

This week has been busy with a new homeschool year starting and many activities beginning, so we've had some hectic mornings, but we DID have one of my very favorite breakfasts...soaked, baked oatmeal! I'm not a huge breakfast person and the time I have to spend in the kitchen in the mornings is minimal, so this recipe is perfect for me! Most of the ingredients are mixed the night before (and only take minutes to prepare), leaving a minimal amount of work to do in the morning before it's ready for the oven! Besides the convenience, soaking the oatmeal overnight greatly increases the nutritional value, breaking down the phytic acid and releasing many more of the vitamins and minerals. This is my slightly modified version of a recipe from Urban Homemaker.

Ingredients (mix the night before & leave on the counter)

½ cup butter -- melted

¾ cup sucanat -- 3/4 to 1 cup

3 cup rolled oats

1 ½ cup fresh raw buttermilk (I've also used kefir or thinned organic yogurt)

1 tsp cinnamon -- optional

In the morning add:

2 eggs -- beaten

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Granny Smith apples, chopped (alternatively, use raisins or other dried fruit)

chopped walnuts, to taste (I mix them in AND sprinkle them on top)

Instructions

Combine first 5 ingredients the night before in a glass mixing bowl.

In the morning add last 4 ingredients.

Bake in a greased 11 x 7 baking pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Top with chopped nuts, ground flax seeds, yogurt, warmed milk, or any other topping of your choice...the options are endless! We eat it plain and love it...it's almost like having an apple crisp for breakfast!

Enjoy! 


**Be sure to visit my Kitchen page for my entire "Scoop on Grains" series and more healthy grain recipes!**


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