One of my favorite places to eat breakfast used to be this place called Heinemann's. Although they're no longer open, I still remember one of their specialties that my friend Andy really liked. It's their Baked Oatmeal, and it was this scrumptious little dish packed with wholesome things your mama would want you to be eating.
Incidentally, i have been thinking of what i could make in these little ramekins i had bought a long time ago and never used.
Then i had an epiphany: AHA! I should make some baked oatmeal in these! So i experimented with a recipe, and I think it turned out really great! Here's what I did.
Ingredients (2 servings):
-1 3/4 cup water
-1/8 tsp salt
-1 bay leaf
-1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
-2 tbsp raisins
-1 tbsp almonds, toasted
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp sugar
1. Boil water, salt, and bay leaf in small sauce pan. What is it about a bay leaf that adding one little leaf to a dish totally enhances the flavor? Mmm.
2. Here are my oats. These should be the old fashioned kind, not the instant kind. I keep both in my pantry at all times. I use the quick ones for when i make pancakes, and the old fashioned kind for when i bake.
3. And here are these golden raisins again...they keep coming up in my recipes, right? That is because, when i plan meals, i open the pantry, stare at the contents, and try to plan around what i already have. Haha. I'm no fancy chef, i'm just one of you guys, trying to get through the week.
Add the raisins to the oatmeal and let em poof up.
4. This part's fun. Toast some nuts in a pan (roll em around till they start smelling good and turning a tan color).
5. Add nuts to the oatmeal. Remove from heat.
6. Pour the oatmeal into those two ramekins. Kinda pack it down with the back of your spoon.
Top with cinnamon and sugar. I know i wrote in measurements up above, but seriously, don't measure that! It's cinnamon. Just eyeball it.
And the sugar.
7. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. I used the toaster oven because these babies are small enough to go in there. No sense in heating the entire full-sized oven for 2 little single-serving ramekins.
Okay, ding! 20 minutes are up. What do you get?
Oh yes. A delicious, healthy, energy-packed breakfast like you'd get in a restaurant.
The light sprinkle of unmeasured cinnamon and sugar adds some flavor to the top. On the inside...
you have your hot, soft oatmeal with an occasional sweet golden raisin. Deeeelicious!
It's really quite easy. And those ramekins? I bought them at the dollar store. In a 2-pack. Each one cost me 50 cents. Cheap, but fancy-looking, right?
Do yourself a favor this weekend. Be good to yourself, make something extra special for yourself for breakfast. And a hearty, filling breakfast doesn't have to be bacon, sausage, and eggs, it can be something really good for you without all the cholesterol.
Happy Friday!
For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.
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