not your everyday oatmeal

the other day my girl and i were having a mommy and me day. as we were lying in bed snuggling that morning we were searching through recipes together. might sound like a strange thing to do, but my kids and i really love doing this and putting recipes together that we think we would want to try. this is also the way i get them to try new things. so anyway, back to my point. we came across this yummy breakfast that calls for oatmeal, which is one of my daughters favorite breakfasts. she decided it was time for us to get up and make breakfast and this was what we were making. so begrudgingly i dragged myself from my warm and toasty bed and followed her down to the kitchen.

the recipe is simple and my 8 year old proceeded to make the whole thing, so none of you can use the excuse you can't cook, to not try it. we named our treat banana oatmeal bake, and that is just what it turned out to be, a treat. it was warm and delicious, the caramelized topping gave it a great crunch and it's completely good for you. beat that! a breakfast that tastes good, sticks with you, is good for you and all four of our family members liked it, even two of us who aren't oatmeal fans.

i'm not a big fan of oatmeal, but when it comes to eating a breakfast that sticks with me and warms me up, i have to admit nothing works quite like oatmeal. it is truly the only thing i can eat that sticks with me through an entire work out, especially if i swim. so i usually make myself a bowl and then attempt to add just about anything to make it taste worthy of enjoying. agave, brown sugar, fruit, but nothing really makes it a culinary delight. now remember that whole thing about using the recipe hunting to get my kids to try new things, well i guess it works both ways. i would not have picked this recipe, or for that matter willing gone about making it, but as i said before my daughter had made up her mind. so here we go,  and this is all you need

 

1-1/2 cups milk(soy or almond milk)***

1 egg

2 over-ripened bananas, smashed***

1 tbls vanilla extract

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped strawberries(i used frozen)***

1 over ripened banana, sliced

¼ cup dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, beat together milk, egg, smashed bananas, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined.

 

Add baking powder oats and half the strawberries. Stir well. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour the mixture in the dish, spreading evenly. Top with the remaining strawberries and bananas slices. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake 25 minutes. Turn broiler to low and broil 5 – 7 minutes until topping is caramelized.
Serve warm

now the other good thing we found about this is it is good the next day cold or reheated with a little milk to moisten it. so doubling the recipe is on the agenda the next time we make it so we have leftovers for during the week. my son who never touches oatmeal loves this too and it is great on a cold winter morning. nothing like sending your family off with a little warmth from home.

*** feel free to use any milk or milk product, even vanilla flavored almond milk would be good.

***if your bananas are not truly overripe, just add a little extra brown sugar in the milk mixture for a little more sweetness, overripe are a lot more sweet than just ripe bananas.

*** i used frozen strawberries and just sliced them and threw them in with out defrosting, great since strawberries are out of season.