Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

APPLE CINNAMON BAKED OATMEAL

This easy baked oatmeal is a fall breakfast favorite!

yield: SERVES 4-6

 

cook time: 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

• Brown Sugar
• Raisins
• Dried Cranberries
• Chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until combined. Gently stir in diced apples. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until oatmeal is golden brown and set. Remove from oven and serve warm. Add additional toppings to baked oatmeal, if desired.

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE 

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

A quick and easy weeknight meal that’s so much cheaper, tastier and healthier than take-out!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 cups diced pineapple, canned or fresh
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger powder and white pepper; set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion to the skillet, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in carrots, corn and peas, and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in rice, pineapple, ham, green onions and soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.

SHEPHERD’S PIE BAKED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 medium russet or sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large carrots chopped small (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground black pepper)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out six pieces of aluminum foil (large enough to wrap around the potatoes). Grab a cold stick of butter from the fridge, open one end, and rub butter all over the center of the foil, leaving about a 2-inch border on all sides of the foil. Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over the butter (garlic powder would be yummy, too).
2. Place a potato in the center of the butter section and roll up the foil, covering the potato completely. Pierce the potato (through the foil) about 5-6 times with the tines of a fork. Place all the potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for an hour (more or less, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife).
3. WHILE THE POTATOES BAKE, MAKE THE TOPPING. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground meat, onion, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are starting to soften, 5-7 minutes or so. Drain any excess grease from the mixture.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook over medium to medium-high heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and thyme. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes until the mixture is thickened and the carrots are tender. If you’d like the mixture more saucy/less thick, add additional broth, as needed and simmer to warm through.
5. Stir in the corn and peas and simmer until heated through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
6. To serve, gently unwrap the hot baked potatoes. Slice down the middle of each one to open it up (squeezing the ends in toward each other can help create somewhat of a “bowl” shape in the potato or you can dice the potato into large chunks, too). Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the potato, top with the Shepherd’s Pie filling and then more cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

I have to say, this flavorful meat mixture over a tender sweet potato (topped with a healthy amount of sharp cheddar cheese) is a heavenly, heavenly combo. If you are on the fence about what kind of potatoes to use, trust me on this one, and go for the sweet potatoes. 

Like I mention in my post, I’ve made the Shepherd’s Pie filling and transferred it to a slow cooker to keep warm for several hours for a helpful make-ahead option. You may need to add a bit of extra broth, so just keep an eye on that if it starts looking a little dry.