Recipe | Oven Baked Sweet Banana Oatmeal

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There's something about bananas that are, at the same time, both delicious and fresh but also filling. I've used them in Skinny Monkey Pudding (Chunky Monkey Ice Cream's skinnier cousin), Banana Nut Muffins with Peanut Butter Whip Frosting (peanut butter and bananas should really start making children), and Low-Fat Frozen Banana Ice Cream, just to name a few.

But those are all desserts. What about breakfast? After experimenting with Healthy Breakfast Coffee Cake, I realized how amazing it is to create a breakfast dish that doesn't require hours of morning prep time (after all, that's when you're still hooked up to the caffeine IV, right?!).  Inspired by this delicious banana oatmeal breakfast, I came up with a much tastier, much heartier, and much longer lasting recipe. By making a casserole-dish full of oven-baked oatmeal, you can serve it immediately or heat it up the next morning... In my house, we stretched it out for 3 or 4 days. And we ate every last bite! This recipe for oven-baked sweet banana oatmeal will impress everyone from your health-conscious sister to your sugar-craving kid.

Ingredients:

...for oatmeal:

• 2 ½ cups oats
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2-3 bananas, sliced

...for topping:

• 2 tablespoons oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat
• 2 tablespoons softened butter 

...serving additions:

• Skim milk (to taste)
• Whipped cream (to taste) 
• Honey (to taste) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine first 5 ingredients (listed as "Ingredients for oatmeal") in a large casserole dish (food will be cooked and served from this dish).
   
3. Slice bananas and add to oatmeal.
   
4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients other than butter (first three ingredients listed under "Ingredients for topping") and mix well.
6. Using your fingers, add softened butter. Mix until you have created a crumbly mixture.
7. Remove oatmeal from the oven and add this mixture across the top. Then, return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until topping begins to brown.
   
8. If serving immediately: Put a square of oatmeal in serving dish and pour skim milk over top, then add whipped cream to taste.
   If serving following morning: Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 325 and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until it has reached a desirable temperature. Put a square of oatmeal in serving dish and pour skim milk over top, then add whipped cream to taste and lightly drizzle honey on top.
   

Additional photos: