When I was a kid, baked oatmeal was my favorite. Maybe because I liked milk, or maybe because it was just delicious. I don’t know. Once, I tried to impress some friends from Texas with my version, and they were not as excited as I was. I concluded I was a bad cook.

When I got married, we were pretty much broke (newlywed college grad life), so I made a. lot. of oatmeal. Oats are probably the cheapest healthy thing around. The first time we had oatmeal for breakfast my husband was worried. I could tell he had made up his mind to say it was good no matter how it tasted. But when he had his first bite his expression changed. He actually liked it! He kept asking me what I put in it that made it so different, and I discovered I might not be such a horrible cook.

The problem was that my trusted oatmeal recipe was modeled for about 4 people, and we don’t really love to eat cold oatmeal the next morning (unless it’s baked into a banana cake or something).

I’ve cut it down to size and added some of my own things. It’s one of our very favorite breakfasts.

First, I melt a quarter cup of butter. Real butter! Margarine will not do. Although I have substituted oil before, I prefer butter for added flavor. I mix in one egg, whisking it really good. I don’t want the oatmeal to fall apart with some eggy parts and some oat parts. Ideally, whisking the butter and egg together creates light chewy oatmeal.

Then, I add a quarter cup of sugar. You can add more or less as you like… a half cup might be overkill in this case. You can skip the sugar and add honey, which works just as well. Next I mix oats, baking powder and salt in a separate container. Yeah, who knew to put baking powder in oatmeal?

I add the oat mixture to the egg mixture, then add a half cup of milk, stirring well to ensure consistency. Then I pour the mixture into a greased 8×8 pan, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. When the middle is firm to the touch, the oatmeal is done!

I like to serve this warm with cold milk, but you can serve it on it’s own with toppings such as chopped nuts, honey or fruit. Enjoy!

P.S. This recipe is also great for making the night before. I like to mix it up, refrigerate it, then pop it in the oven while I shower in the morning.