Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas

When my cousin came for a visit last month, I decided to try this new recipe I saw at epicurious.com for baked oatmeal.  I wanted to have something hearty that would keep us satisfied and give us energy, as I knew we'd be on the go.

And by the way, what is it about trying new recipes when company comes?  Shouldn't I have tested it first? ... Yet, I do it all the time!  Thankfully, it was good.

 You can go see the original recipe, linked above in the baked oatmeal hyperlink.  I tweaked it only slightly:

ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats, soaked*
• 2 Tb sucanat
• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 cup milk, I use raw
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup blueberries
• maple syrup or strawberry syrup, to taste

preparation

* Soak your 2 cups of oats overnight in 2 cups water with a couple splashes (1-2 Tb) of apple cider vinegar or the juice of half a lemon.  In the morning drain the water and empty the oats into a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375° with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the berries over the top, and then sprinkle the sucanat over the fruit.

Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Give the baking dish a few jiggles to make sure the milk moves through the oats. 

Scatter the remaining berries over the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup or strawberry syrup.

I've had it with both the maple syrup and the strawberry syrup, and I can't decide which I like better; both are very good.  Oh... and a recipe for that strawberry syrup coming soon!



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