Amish Baked Oatmeal

2 cups of Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Method

• Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 325°F, if you are baking the oatmeal now.

• Mix together all the ingredients except diced apple and nuts.

• Fold in the apples and nuts.

• Spread evenly into prepared pan.

• If you are going to enjoy the oatmeal now, bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through and golden brown.

• This is especially good with a little milk or cream.


• If you've whipped up a batch for tomorrow morning, just refrigerate until then.

• Since your oatmeal has been refrigerated overnight, I would bake for the 15 to 20 minutes, checking to make sure that it is nice and warm throughout and golden brown. If necessary, leave the breakfast in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes longer, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't get overdone.

• If you'd rather, after the 20 minutes, you could spoon individual servings into microwave-safe bowls and heat the contents further that way.