Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Another of our favorite apple recipes is this one. I love how the house smells while this is baking in my oven! Its a simple recipe, and unlike many baked oatmeal recipes I've seen, it does not call for a ton of sugar. I also like the contrast between the sweetness of the oatmeal and the tart Granny Smith apples. Top it with almonds and dried cranberries too. You've got to try this recipe!

I doubled this recipe for the first time recently and it worked like a charm.

The original recipe is from Two Peas and Their Pod, though I've made a few alterations.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups skim milk (I cut it back by 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 egg whites (I use 1 whole egg)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large Granny Smith apple, cored, and diced

Method:
Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a second bowl, combine egg, milk, applesauce, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add apples and stir. Pour oatmeal into a greased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes. I always give the oatmeal a stir after 20 minutes and bake for an additional 10 minutes to firm up the oatmeal. Top it with chopped almonds or dried cranberries.

Oatmeal Pancake

This is nice quick and easy breakfast that is more substantial than just a bowl of cereal. My mom gets the credit for introducing me to this oatmeal pancake, but I'm sure there are others who make it as well. Every time I make one of these for breakfast I remember the day my son was born because I made this that morning while I was contracting every two minutes or so!

The base: 1 egg, beaten, 1/2 cup of oats, and a splash of milk. Then add whatever else you please. I sprinkled a little sugar and some almond slivers in this bowl, but I also enjoy bacon, craisins, and apples.

I patted the pancake out in my pan and added a few blackberries I froze last summer (we picked them at Lockbriar Farm).

Cook until it gets nice and brown, then flip and brown on the second side.

Yum!

And here is a quick clip of how I flip my pancakes and eggs. (Of course, you can use a spatula instead!)