Tuesday, November 18, 2014

"Healthy" Apple Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of those dishes that screams for flavor - this Apple Oatmeal?  Screams for you to eat it and more of it.
I saw this recipe and knew we should give it a shot.  The nice thing is that you can make it the night before - then bake it in the morning.  We baked it on a Sunday morning while we were getting ready for church.  It made the house smell amazing!  It also was great for left overs.  What a filling dish that feels a little like you are being decadent - but it's oatmeal - health food right?  And Apples!  How can you go wrong with apples and oatmeal in a dish?

Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal with Crunchy Brown Sugar Streusel
Ingredients
for the sauteed apples:
2 T. unsalted butter
4 c. peeled and chopped apples (Use a flavorful variety that will hold up well when cooked.)
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. fresh pressed apple cider
for the oatmeal:
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 c. milk
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. steel cut oats
for the crunchy brown sugar streusel:
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. old fashioned oats
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2'' pieces, (do not melt)
Preparation
Butter a deep 9'' square baking dish or a similar dish that holds about 2 quarts. Set aside.
for the sautéed apples:
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and stir to coat. Pour in apple cider and cook until apples are soft and cider has mostly reduced and disappeared from the pan. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
for the oatmeal:
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, milk, applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the sautéed apples, then the old fashioned oats and steel cut oats. Transfer to buttered dish and spread oatmeal mixture evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the oatmeal mixture. Refrigerate overnight.
for the crunchy brown sugar streusel:
In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with the same fork until there are large pea-sized crumbs. This can be prepared the night before, and covered, but don't add it to the oatmeal mixture until you are ready to bake it in the morning.
The next morning, preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap the oatmeal mixture and top it with the prepared streusel. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until oatmeal is thoroughly hot and the streusel is golden brown. If you want the streusel to be more browned and crunchy, simply place under the broiler for a couple minutes. Serve hot with warmed milk or cream, and extra brown sugar if desired.

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