Amish Baked Oatmeal

 

EASY AMISH BAKED OATMEAL

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  3 cups (10.5 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats (see note for quick oats)
•  1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) lightly packed brown sugar
•  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•  3/4 teaspoon salt
•  1 1/4 cups dairy or non-dairy milk (see note)
•  1/4 cup pure maple syrup
•  2 large eggs
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  6 tablespoons melted butter or oil (see note)
•  Toppings: additional milk, berries, sliced bananas, chopped nuts, etc

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (Skip this step right now if making the oatmeal overnight.)
2. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan (or smaller pan for thicker oatmeal). Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
4. In another bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and butter or oil.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the oats mixture and stir to combine.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake (up to 24 hours) or bake right away.
7. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the oatmeal is set. Serve warm with additional toppings.

NOTES

Oats: I prefer old-fashioned oats (or sprouted old-fashioned oats) for this recipe because we like the soft granola-ish texture. For a softer texture, quick oats will work.

Milk: feel free to increase the milk if you like softer/plumper oatmeal.

Butter vs Oil: I prefer using melted butter for flavor if baking the oatmeal right away; however, if I'm making it the night before and baking the next morning, I prefer using oil so the butter doesn't clump in the refrigerator (coconut oil will do the same thing).

Overnight: if refrigerating the pan of oatmeal overnight, before baking in the morning, give the mixture a quick stir right in the pan.

Sweeteners: you can adapt and alter the amount and type of sugar/syrup in the recipe according to your tastes.

Brown Butter Granola

 

BROWN BUTTER PECAN GRANOLA

YIELD: 5 CUPS

 

PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 1 HOUR

 

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  1/2 cup butter (I use salted)
•  1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) dark brown sugar
•  1/4 cup honey
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  1/2 cup (2 ounces) pecans
•  2 cups (8 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
•  1/2 cup (2 to 3 ounces) raw or sprouted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
•  1/2 cup (1 ounce) unsweetened or sweetened coconut flakes
•  1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
•  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1/4 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
•  1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a stainless steel skillet or saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter foams and then browns, 5-6 minutes. Watch carefully so the butter doesn't burn. You just want the itty bitty solids that separate from the butter to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, honey, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a food processor or high-powered blender, pulse the pecans until finely ground. The texture should be a coarse powder with maybe a few larger pieces here and there.
4. In a large bowl, combine the pecans, oats, pumpkin seeds, coconut, orange zest (if using), cinnamon and salt. Pour the brown butter syrup mixture over the top and stir to combine evenly.
5. Spread the granola into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the granola smells fragrant and is a nicely toasted golden color. The granola will look wet as you stir and might even look a bit wet coming out of the oven. It will dry as it cools.
6. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet. Crumble into pieces and stir in cranberries, if using. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (it will keep well for 1-2 weeks).

NOTES

Substitutions: as with most granola recipes, I suspect this recipe will fare well to adaptations. Feel free to play around with the ingredients! I don't always add the orange zest, but it is very tasty (especially with the cranberries).

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/BROWN-BUTTER-PECAN-GRANOLA/

Instant pot Creamy Ziti

 

AMAZING INSTANT POT CREAMY "BAKED" ZITI

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES

 

ADDITIONAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  2 cups broth (I use low-sodium chicken broth)
•  2 cups cream (see note for lightened up substitutions)
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
•  16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta or other tube-shaped pasta
•  15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
•  1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
•  1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
•  1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•  Fresh basil, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the broth and cream and add the salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Add the pasta; don't stir, but if it's mounded in the center, arrange into an even layer. Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the pasta and sprinkle the oregano and basil over the top. Don't stir.
3. Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, and select "manual" or "pressure cook" and dial up or down to the minutes needed --> take the cooking time on the pasta package directions, cut it in half and subtract two more minutes. So for pasta that cooks to al dente in 12 minutes, the IP cooking time would be 4 minutes (add an extra minute if you like your pasta super soft).
4. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly (it's ok if there are some darker, cooked spots on the bottom of the pot/bottom layer of pasta). Serve the ziti immediately with chopped, fresh basil, and additional Parmesan, if desired.

NOTES

Optional: adding a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage is fantastic with this recipe! Cook the meat on the saute function with a little salt and pepper, drain the grease, and proceed with the recipe (just make sure when you add the broth to scrape the bottom of the pot really well before adding the other ingredients).

Lighten it Up: If you want to lighten up the cream a bit, I've had great success making this with 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon cornstarch (whisked together) + 1 cup cream. I haven't tried subbing all the cream for a milk + cornstarch mixture, but you could experiment!

For an Extra Saucy Pasta: add 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra broth, cream or crushed tomatoes. Any variety of tube pasta will work great here! When I can't find ziti, I've used penne or rigatoni. Also, I've subbed in a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes blended with 2 tablespoons tomato paste for the crushed tomatoes with great results.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/INSTANT-POT-CREAMY-BAKED-ZITI/

Andes Mint Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 ounce package Andes Creme De Menthe Baking Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). With the mixer on low, add in egg and vanilla. Return mixer to medium and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides if needed.

3. With the mixer back on low, add dry ingredient mixture gradually until dough forms. Mix in Andes baking chips. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or Silpat; set aside.

4. Form balls from approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. Place on baking sheet (I did 8 at a time, they do spread a bit). Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are just barely golden. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet before removing and placing on wire rack to finish cooling. Store in airtight container.

Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter

• 6 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Salted Butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups spiced apple cider
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Add 6 tablespoons butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin, cider, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, stir until just combined. It's OK if the batter is a little lumpy. Allow the batter to sit 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the maple butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt.

3. Preheat your waffle iron. Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron's directions. Serve topped with maple butter and additional maple syrup. Enjoy!