Oatmeal and Tuesday Breakfasts

So I've decided I want to make a post about breakfast each week! Breakfast is a big deal in our house. My kids have always gone to bed pretty early, so by the time breakfast rolls around again, they are starving! Also, now that our oldest is in grade one, he needs to last until lunch without food. So breakfast at our house needs to be quick, hearty, healthy and tasty!
Oatmeal is my FAVOURITE breakfast ever! I make 2 main oatmeal recipes in our house, and I will list both below. One of my favourite things about oatmeal is that it allows for endless topping choices. My kids also love this about oatmeal. I will often give them each a little dish of diced apples and a little dish of raisins for them to add to their oatmeal themselves - they LOVE this! I will list some of our favourite toppings below as well.

BASIC STOVETOP OATMEAL
At first I thought making oatmeal on the stove as opposed to the boiling water packets was not worth the effort. But if you look on the back of those packets (namely the sugar content, or even the sodium content of the unsweetened packets), you realize you can't afford to not put in the effort! I save the packets for when I need to bring breakfast on a road trip, or for at the lake - they are good for some things!
So, this is my basic stovetop oatmeal recipe - it only takes a few minutes (will boil before you even finish cleaning out the dishwasher!), and you can vary it endlessly depending on your mood!


Makes 4 servings

2/3 cup oats (old-fashioned, or 3-5 minute oats)
2/3 cup milk, any variety, even almond, soy or coconut
1 cup water
*1 sliced banana
*2 TBSP chia seeds
*1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Stir all ingredients together in a pot on medium heat. Once this boils, cook until oats are soft and liquid is absorbed (about 3 minutes).
*I often add one sliced banana into the pot. When it starts to boil, I "whip" the banana into the mixture.
*The chia seeds are optional, but they add a nutty taste and make things nice and fluffy!
*If you like vanilla, you will love this addition. Add after cooking.

Tasty Toppings:
Cottage Cheese (fold in immediately after cooking)
Nut Butter (any variety, Sunbutter is delish also!)
Toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc)
Maple Syrup
Chopped apples (can be added before or after cooking)
Raisins (can be added before or after cooking)
Cinnamon
Vanilla yogurt
Leftover fruit salad
Canned Peaches and their juice
Toasted Coconut

What do you top your oatmeal with? Leave me a comment about it!

BAKED OATMEAL
This is a dish we were served at Wilderness Edge Resort in Pinawa, MB this summer at a family reunion. And guess what? They give away their recipe! Boy, am I glad about that - saves me all the tinkering in my kitchen. Sometimes it pays to ask (my mom did!)!

6 cups oatmeal (3 cups large flake, 3 cups quick cooking is ideal)
3 cups milk
4 eggs
1 cup oil (I use olive oil)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar (I use only 1/2 cup)

Stir all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Cut into servings and serve with warm milk, cinnamon, and raisins.
My favourite thing about this recipe is that it freezes well. I freeze this in individual portions and take them out the night before we want to eat them. This is my husband's favourite breakfast on a weekday morning and it's so easy!