Snowy Morning Breakfast

After braving the traffic, fog and drizzle on the roads last night, we made it to Minnesota. We were greeted by a house draped with fresh garland and aglow with twinkling lights, warm from a blazing fire. It’s Christmas.

Everyone waited up for us last night, but we weren’t much fun. After a long week of work and exams and a long drive, we crashed pretty quickly. And, oh, did we sleep well. The morning brought the surprise of a fresh layer of beautiful, light, bright white snow. Oh, and the most satisfying, hearty and holiday-ish breakfast possible: baked oatmeal.

Admittedly, some were not thrilled with the prospect of oatmeal for breakfast. But this was nowhere near boring or bland. By using dried cranberries over raisins and swapping pecans for walnuts, this dish was perfect. And it’s got everyone ready for a day of last minute shopping and wrapping. As we noshed this morning, we kept coming up with more permutations for this dish: dried cherries, pistachio, a drizzle if icy cold cream, a sinful scoop of ice cream, an extra dusting of cinnamon. Whatever form it takes, it would be a wonderful addition to any snowy morning—like a leisurely Christmas morning.

Baked Oatmeal
Penzeys

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/3 cups skim milk
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
milk, yogurt and fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg whites, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, or until center is set and firm to the touch. Cool slightly. Serve topped with milk or yogurt and fruit, if desired. Store leftover oatmeal, tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking minutes: 55-60 minutes. Serves: 6-8.