Church Cookbook Love

I was recently asked by my dear husband if I'd cook breakfast for the board meetings our church was hosting this last weekend. I agreed, knowing I could use a similar menu to what I helped my friend Liz make last year for another event. The menu was as follows: Baked Oatmeal, Yogurt, Fruit, and Granola (for the yogurt). Added bonus: all gluten-free, as one of the board members is gluten-intolerant. (Though in case you're wondering, while oatmeal is gluten-free in theory, it's often processed in plants that process other gluten-y items, so you do still have to search out gluten-free oatmeal).  I made the same granola I usually make and cut up some apples, bananas, and oranges.

When I looked up the recipe for the Baked Oatmeal in our church cookbook, I remembered why it was so good :-) A whole lot of brown sugar and oil!! I did substitute half the oil for applesauce and then added extra cinnamon and a handful of chopped apples so I could pretend that it actually had the slightest bit of health to it :-) I think it turned out pretty well, and I'll definitely be making it again. Thank goodness for church cookbooks! [And my philosophy on church cookbook recipes still applies: fantastic person = fantastic recipe ;-)] The recipe, as I made it, is listed below. 

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. applesauce

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon (optional)

4 eggs

2 c. milk

6 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 c. apples, peeled and chopped (optional)

Mix oil, applesauce, sugar and eggs. Beat until yellow and glossy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-blended. Bake in greased 9x13 pan at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serves 10-12. 

Other optional add-ins: 1 c. raisins, 1/2 c. sunflower seeds, any kind of nuts, coconut, or fresh or dried fruit.

Side note: the "Planning the Menu" notepad I bought a while back came in super-handy the past 2 weeks. They let you specify the recipe, source, ingredients, and notes on the results. I used them for supper group, 2 meals for the board, and a meal I brought to a family at church. Given the proximity of all of these events piled on top of an already stacked week, I needed the extra organization!

Side side note: Thank goodness for church cookbooks, but not for church kitchens! Despite the coordinator's best effort, it is always amazing the sheer quantity of random items that show up (or more importantly, DON'T show up) in church kitchens. Items NOT found in our church kitchen as of Saturday: scissors, pen and paper, large ziploc bags, and most notably a cutting board. I ended up chopping everything on a plastic serving tray!