Baking on Friday: Baked Apple-Blueberry Oatmeal

Just sneaked in under the wire, didn't I?  You'll see that it's worth waiting until the end of Friday for this edition of Baking on Friday.  I have something so yummy to share with you.  This recipe is slightly adapted from a recipe I found on Nutmeg Nanny.  It's a delicious new way to serve oatmeal for breakfast, and it keeps for several days in the refrigerator.  Make it one day, and you have breakfast for several days, depending on how many mouths you're feeding, of course. 

It's quick and easy to make.  You can whip it up in the morning if you're feeling energetic, but that isn't the way I stumble through the morning.  "Whipping" definitely doesn't make it into my morning vocabulary.  I made it up the evening before.  Once it's completely cool, cover and refrigerate it.  Then when you're ready for breakfast the next morning, warm up an individual serving in the microwave.  Top it with a little drizzle of maple syrup and mmmmmm, mmmmmmm, mmmmmmm.  Heaven on Earth.

Nutmeg Nanny's recipe included bananas.  Mike isn't wild about bananas, and despite being a banana fanatic, I found the texture of baked bananas a little off-putting.  I got the idea to substitute Granny Smith apple slices for the bananas, and it worked out perfectly.  You can try it either way.  Here's the recipe:

Baked Apple-Blueberry Oatmeal
slightly adapted from Nutmeg Nanny
6 servings

2 cups  old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon  baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons  ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  table salt
2 cups  milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon  unsalted butter -- melted
2 teaspoons  vanilla extract
1/3 cup  maple syrup
1 Granny Smith apple -- cored, peeled, cut in half. and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 cups  fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Butter 8 x 8 baking dish and cover bottom with apple slices.  Then sprinkle 3/4 cup blueberries over top of apple slices and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix together oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir to combine.

In another bowl beat together milk, egg, butter, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Add oats to baking dish and gently pour milk mixture over oats.  Gently rap baking dish on the counter to make sure the milk has gone all the way through the oats.

Sprinkle the top with blueberries and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal is set.  If desired, drizzle the top with more maple syrup.

Enjoy!  (I know what I'm having for breakfast in the morning.)