If you’ve been following along with my stories on Instagram then you know that my child loves to eat. During the holidays I realized we had gotten into a rut with food, which totally happens. However, since he is so new on his food journey (he’s 11 months at the time of posting) I didn’t want him to get comfortable with the same options over and over again. Come January I decided I would get more adventurous again and try new recipes. This Savory Baked Oatmeal that is loaded with vegetables came to mind and it was a hit both with him and with me.
Oatmeal
When we think about oats, we often think of a sweet breakfast. I personally love overnight oats, regular ol’ oatmeal and baked oatmeal. But I think we forget that there truly are no rules with what we HAVE to eat at any given meal. Oats don’t have to be sweet and they also don’t have to be reserved for breakfast.
I also love a good savory oatmeal and think it’s often an overlooked recipe option. I was about to make Connor some savory oats for the week but oatmeal is messy and while I wanted to give him a new option for breakfast I just didn’t want to have to clean oatmeal out of his hair before daycare. So, we landed on baked oatmeal.
Note:Baby Led Weaning (BLW) promotes letting them get messy and we often let him make a total mess but some times (like before daycare) we just don’t have time for a full mess.
Savory Baked Oatmeal
Baked oatmeal is pretty much your beloved oatmeal that is just mixed together and bound with eggs then baked in the oven. It becomes a more portable and less messy option. I had no idea how a savory baked oatmeal would turn out but I was willing to give it a go. I found a few options online but had random veggies on hand so I made my own tweaks and adjustments to find what would work for what was in our house.
Baked oatmeal is a great option for breakfast, snacks or even dessert. We are using this as breakfast with a side of fruit for Connor’s breakfast this week.
Savory Baked Oatmeal Ingredients
Rolled Oats. Nothing fancy here just grab some rolled or old fashioned oats. You will not want steel cut here.
Egg. This is what helps to bind the oats together. You can definitely try a flax egg but I have yet to try it so cannot confirm if it works or not.
Milk. I used regular whole milk but I suspect any milk or milk alternative will work here.
Olive Oil. Any oil will work but I love the flavor of olive oil for a savory dish like this.
Vegetables. Use about 2 cups of vegetables here. I diced the veggies because this was mainly for my 11 month old but feel free to leave some vegetables larger as desired.
Baby spinach. Any green will work but spinach is nice because it wilts easily and is mild in flavor.
Tomato Paste. This is another binder to the recipe and brings such a nice flavor to the baked oatmeal.
Spices. I love playing around with spices so use what you have on hand. I didn’t use salt because we are slowly introducing more salt to my son but next time I make these I will likely start with 1/2 teaspoon.
How to Make Savory Baked Oatmeal
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 8” baking dish with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper feel free to grease the dish with cooking spray or butter.
Step 2: In a large bowl mix oats, baking powder, egg & milk and set aside.
Step 3: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato, peppers, onion & mushroom and cook until soft, stirring frequently, around 8 minutes. If it is taking too long, cover for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add in spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Step 5: Add in tomato paste & spices and stir to combine.
Step 6: Remove vegetable mixture from heat and add to oat mixture until evenly combined.
Step 7: Pour into prepared baking dish, spread evenly and place in oven for 30-35 minutes or until baked through.
Allow to cool then store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Oats are such a versatile ingredient and I love using them for things like Overnight Oats and Baked Oatmeal so this time around instead of trying something sweet I decided to try my hand at adding veggies to a Savory Baked Oatmeal recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Scale
2 cups rolled oats
1–1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, whisked
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small sweet potato peeled & diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt, as desired
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 8” baking dish with parchment paper
In a large bowl mix oats, baking powder, egg & milk and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato, peppers, onion & mushroom and cook until soft, stirring frequently, around 8 minutes.
Add in spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Add in tomato paste & spices and stir to combine.
Remove vegetable mixture from heat and add to oat mixture until evenly combined.
Pour into prepared baking dish and place in oven for 30-35 minutes or until baked through.
Allow to cool then store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
xoxo,
Sassy
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