Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

Three guesses as to where I found this recipe... Ready, go! [hint: it was Pinterest]

TA-DA!!! Baked Blueberry Oatmeal, courtesy of "So, How's it Taste?"




As you'll notice, I improvise on almost everything, for one of three reasons:

  1. I don't like (or don't eat) one of the ingredients.
  2. I'm allergic to one of the ingredients. <-- this is only pecans & walnuts, but they're everywhere!
  3. The store didn't have it OR it was way too expensive.
Here's the recipe, with my modifications noted.

Note: I love that she adapted her recipe, too!


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats *Trader Joe's was completely out of these, so I got Quick Cook Steel-Cut Oats.  I hear steel-cut is really good for you, and these were the cheapest :)
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided *Nope, allergic to these. I used sliced almonds I already had in my pantry.
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup *She used sugar free, I used light. Potato, potato.
  • 1 cup milk *We both used skim.
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten *I don't eat too many eggs, so it seemed more logical for me to get the stuff in a carton.
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly *I only had the sweet cream salted.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup blueberries (or raspberries), fresh or frozen, divided


Here's what I used, modifications and all.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 357°F.
  2. Lightly grease a 2-quart (8 cup) baking dish.  In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir to combine.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.
  3. Spread the slide bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with half of the berries.  Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer.  Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings.


Right before I popped it in the oven.

Done!

My Notes:
  • I'm not sure the Quick Cook Steel-Cut oats were the right choice.  This is my first time ever eating them, so I don't know if they're just not right for this recipe or if I'm just not a big fan of them.
  • I added more blueberries and almonds on top because I like them :)
  • I'm not sure if I did something wrong in cooling the butter or if it was because I used liquid eggs, but the liquid ingredients had some strange solidified elements.  I was nervous before cooking but I haven't noticed anything strange in eating it!
  • For my tastes, it could use a little more sweetness... Maybe next time I'll add more maple syrup or try brown sugar or something.
  • Since I only cook for one person, I sliced it into six pieces and put five of them in a big tupperware in the fridge (separated by wax paper), and the final piece I put in a smaller container to take to work with me.
I'll let you in on a little secret... I have some texture issues with food.  Certain foods make me gag and give me the willies, but when they're good for me I try to eat them anyway.  This is the case with bananas and oatmeal.  I've been forcing myself to eat them for about two years now and have finally gotten to the point where they don't make me gag anymore-- except apparently when they're combined.  Maybe if it was sweeter it would go down more smoothly.

Overall though, if you want a healthier, heartier breakfast that you can make in advance and reheat (say, at the office), this is a good recipe to try!  You can play around with the fruit, the nuts, and the flavorings to get the perfect hot breakfast for you :)

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