Baked Oatmeal with Instant, Quick, or Regular Oats
Why I Like This Baked Oatmeal
There are several reasons why I love this baked oatmeal recipe.
It’s easy to make, it keeps well, and it’s just plain good. You can use regular, quick, or even instant oatmeal. Add some milk, eggs, sugar, spices, and fruit, you’re set to go. This baked oatmeal keeps for days in the refrigerator and also freezes well.
I got this recipe from my husband’s aunt Edna. Uncle Bill and Aunt Edna hosted our family when we went to Ohio in 2010 to bury Dave’s father. She had a pan of oatmeal that we served ourselves for breakfast. So when I make this recipe, I think of Aunt Edna and how her sweet hospitality helped us bear our grief.
Recipe variations
Although the recipe calls for regular (not quick or instant) oatmeal, I have used all three kinds (not in the same recipe, of course.) If you use the instant packs (brown sugar/cinnamon or apple/cinnamon) you don’t need to add cinnamon or apples. You can also decrease the sugar quite a bit or not add any at all. You will need to add a little more liquid (milk, eggs, or veg. oil). I usually add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more milk. In recent weeks, I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the vegetable oil and added 1/2 cup of milk to the amount. It works wonderfully.
I decided to try the instant oatmeal when the WIC checks for our foster children only allowed plain instant oatmeal instead of flavored or plain bulk oatmeal. [Don’t even get me started on government policies!] I decided I wasn’t going to lose or waste this WIC check, so I bought the specified packets of instant oatmeal and used it instead of the regular oatmeal. It took longer to open up each individual pack, but it was worth the time, especially when my gang couldn’t tell the difference. When you’ve made it a few times, you’ll know how wet/dry it should be before it is baked. I just dump some extra liquid in until it looks right.
This will last for days if you keep it covered and in the fridge. Heat a serving size in the microwave. You can add other fruit on top after it’s heated – try bananas, blackberries or blueberries.
I’ve frozen some in Tupperware containers and that works well also. It used to be that this dish didn’t hang around my kitchen very long; but now that our nest is more often empty than full, I’ve found that freezing is a great way to keep it from spoiling.
The Recipe
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. margarine or butter
- 1 cup oil OR substitute unsweetened applesauce
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 6 cups oatmeal regular, quick, or instant
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp vanilla.
Instructions
- Melt margarine in 9 x 13-inch pan while the oven is preheating to 400.
- Mix oil, sugar, and eggs together until glassy
- Put oatmeal into a bowl.
- Add baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the measured oatmeal.
- Measure milk and add vanilla.
- Mix milk and oatmeal together.
- Combine oil/egg mixture with oatmeal mixture
- Add fruit of your choice: apples, blueberries, raisins, etc.
- Pour mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan
- Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes
This recipe is a repeat from 7 years ago. HOWEVER, please note the additional suggestion of substituting unsweetened applesauce in place of vegetable oil and the addition of 1/2 cup milk.
