yes that is correct, pump up that oatmeal. This morning go to for a lot of people is oatmeal. Heart healthy right? warm and good for you. However can be extremely boring and mundane, so how about a different version on an old favorite? Does Baked Apple cranberry oatmeal sound delicious or what? Especially at this time of year, where we have all kinds of cranberry in the store and many different apples to choose from. So go ahead get crazy and break out of that oatmeal rut.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 large or 4 small apples, peeled and roughly chopped
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, mixture divided
8 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup steel-cut oats
4 cups hot water
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF, lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat, add chopped apples, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon spice blend, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approx. 15 minutes, or until apples softened and began to caramelize. Remove from heat. Add cranberries, stirring to coat with spice-butter mixture.
- Add the steel cut oats, water, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a large bowl, cover, and allow to stand for 20 minutes, or until the oats have softened slightly.
- Add the old-fashioned oats, salt, remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon spice blend, remaining 6 tablespoons brown sugar, nutmeg, and about half of the chopped nuts to the steel-cut oats, mix well to incorporate.
- Whisk together the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla, folding it into the oat mixture.
- Add about 3/4 of the fruit to the casserole dish; spread it out in an even layer, top with the oat mixture. Top with the remaining fruit and the second half of nuts. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until set in the center.
- Serve with a a bit of milk or some plain yogurt.
