Baked Cranberry Oatmeal

Country Inn Meals to Remember, p. 20

3 cups skim milk, plus more for serving if desired

6 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons margarine

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

1 ½ cups peeled, finely chopped Granny Smith apples, plus ½ Granny Smith unpeeled and sliced for garnish

¾ cup dried cranberries

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat a 9-inch-square pan with nonstick cooking oil spray.

In a large saucepan, bring the milk, brown sugar, margarine, and cinnamon to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, chopped apple, cranberries, and nuts; spread evenly into the prepared pan.

What a happy mixture!

When the milk mixture begins to boil, pour out evenly over the oatmeal mixture. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the oatmeal is tender. 

It goes in gloopy, but it comes out nice and substantial.

Cut the mixture into 6 servings, scooping each out into a cereal bowl. Garnish with the sliced apple and serve with a pitcher of skim milk.

(The co-op didn't have any Granny Smiths so I had to use Galas.)

My Rating: 4/5 "A wonderful homey treat. Sugary-sweet (but not too sweet!) and tart from the fruit, this is an oatmeal dish with a surprising punch for the palate. Enjoy for breakfast, or be like us and have breakfast for dinner!"