Oatmeal has always been a breakfast-time winner at our house. It is one of the first table food meals that the kids enjoyed when they were babies and it has remained a favorite throughout the years. On those mornings when no one can decide what to eat for breakfast, I always turn to oatmeal as the solution.
Usually when I serve up oatmeal, I serve it in a modified version of some sort. This usually means oatmeal breakfast bars, oatmeal breakfast cookies or a baked oatmeal of some kind. The traditional hot oatmeal making is reserved for Eric. This is the kids rule because his oatmeal (aka “Dad’s Oatmeal”) is always loaded up with tons of good stuff, like bananas, maple syrup and brown sugar. Any hot oatmeal that I whip up just tends to pale in comparison to that, and I’m okay with that. I love that this is a tradition and long running joke in our house. Maybe someday it’s one that the kids will carry on in their own homes as well.
So with that being said, I bet you can guess what we’ll be dining on this coming Monday morning in celebration of National Oatmeal Day. I think I’ll have Eric stir up some “Dad’s Oatmeal” while I whip up this Cranberry-Pear Baked Oatmeal with Maple Sugared Walnuts and let the kids have an oatmeal extravaganza!
Cranberry-Pear Baked Oatmeal with Maple Sugared Walnuts
Ingredients
For the Baked Oatmeal:
- 3 cup Quaker oats (I like using a mixture of half quick oats and half old-fashioned oats, but you can use whichever kind you prefer)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 fresh pear,diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
For the Maple Sugared Walnuts:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp real maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the egg, milk and oil and stir until combined. Fold in the diced pear and cranberries, then pour into a greased 9×9 inch casserole dish.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter over low heat in a small skillet. Add the sugar and continue cooking over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts and cook an additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.
- Pour the walnut mixture on top of the oatmeal in the casserole dish and back at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Serve warm, with a splash of milk, if desired. Enjoy!
