Baked Oatmeal : Pumpkin Apple Cranberry or Blueberry Banana

Lately, Jon hasn't been getting home from work until late.  This means that my dinners have been less than creative.  Leftovers and egg sandwiches are frequently gracing my coffee table while I watch the Food Network. It is a glamorous life I lead.  One thing I have been cooking, however, is breakfast.  I wake up starving.  Ready to gnaw my arm off starving.  It's best if I don't have to spend a lot of time dilly dallying in the kitchen.  These baked oatmeals have been perfect.  They are healthy, quick, and easy to whip up the night before (or even that same morning if you don't have the same arm-gnawing tendencies as me).  

I naively started writing this post after lunch while Colin toddled around.  I had to take several breaks to retrieve random containers he had removed from recycling and strewn around the house.  Then when I suggested he might want to stay nearby, he took all the cords out of the desk and chewed on them.  Babies are not great writing assistants. And thus I am finishing this post after bedtime.

I make two variations of this oatmeal, as you may have gathered from the post title.  The base is the same, but then I add either pumpkin, apple and cranberries or blueberries and banana.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup wheat germ (or more oats)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (can sub pumpkin pie spice for the the pumpkin apple oatmeal)

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds (or chopped walnuts)

Either:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 apple, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

or

2-3 bananas, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, egg, milk, vanilla and either pumpkin or banana.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.  

Mix in the apple and cranberries or blueberries.

Spread in the baking dish and sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Reheat in the oven or microwave to serve warm.

If you're feeling fancy, drizzle with a little maple syrup.

Pumpkin Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal

Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal