Baked Blueberry & Banana Oatmeal

Original Recipe HERE

I threw this together on a night when I had no idea what I was making but didn't want to resort to pasta or egg sandwiches yet again.  *N* was eating dinner at a friend's house, so the remaining four of us pretty much polished off the entire dish.  I was shocked to see it disappear before my eyes so quickly - and disappointed, since I was hoping to make the next day's morning routine easier by having breakfast already made.  I will definitely make this again.

I assume that other berries could be substituted.  I have a bag of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in my freezer right now that would be worth a try.  Also, pureeing some (or all) of the bananas and mixing them into the wet ingredients might make for a moister, more uniformly-flavorful dish.

 

Ingredients

3 to 4 medium ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2" rounds

1 to 2 cups blueberries [I used thawed frozen berries]

1/2 cup honey or agave

2-1/2 cups uncooked oats [I used old fashioned] 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans [optional; I did not use]
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ [optional]

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

yogurt for topping [optional; I used fat-free French vanilla]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.

(2) Arrange banana slices in a single layer in the dish. Sprinkle blueberries over bananas.

(3) Dust 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over fruit.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey.

(4) Cover with foil.  Bake 15 minutes.

(5) Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine oats, nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

(6) In separate bowl, whisk together remaining honey, milk, eggs, and vanilla.

(7) Evenly spread oat mixture over fruit.  Slowly pour milk mixture over oats, distributing as evenly as possible.

(8) Bake oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven, with yogurt if desired.

 

Kid Participation: Eat it and love it.

 

White Cheddar Corn Soup

Original Recipe HERE

 

This soup was...wait for it...easy and tasty.  I know, I start just about every post with those two words somewhere in the first three lines.  But I guess that makes sense, since I'm not going to want to repeat anything that's not at least tasty - and easy is a huge bonus.

 

I bought a block of white cheddar and grated about a cup of it.  Then, for no reason I can explain, I switched to a garlic-and-herb block that I love.  I doubt it made much of a difference in the end product, so I'd think that most cheese could be substituted.  I mostly recognized corn with hints of red pepper; the cheese seemed to affect the texture more than the taste.

 

All three kids happily ate it, as did Husband and I.  I served it with "homemade" biscuits (courtesy of Bisquick and some milk) and sliced smoked sausage rounds, browned in a pan.  *N* and *J* enjoyed dipping the biscuits and sausage into the soup.

 

This made enough to feed all of us for one night plus leftovers for my lunch.  So it's not one of the huge Commitment Soups that you'll be eating for a week.

 

Ingredients

1 to 2 Tablespoons butter

1 small onion [preferably Vidalia], diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2-1/2 cups frozen corn kernels [I used one 16-oz bag]

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half-n-half

1-1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

 

Directions

(1) In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.

(2) Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 10 minutes or until softened.

(3) Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes.

(4) Add broth, corn, bay leaf, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

(5) Discard bay leaf. Blend mixture with immersion blender (or transfer two cups at a time to a blender; return mixture to saucepan. Repeat until all soup is blended).

(6) Add cream to soup; bring to a boil.

(7) Stir in cheese.  Turn off heat; stir until cheese is melted.

 

Kid Participation: None.