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I thought I was a solid—if a bit inexperienced—cook when I put on my apron for the first time in Ina Garten's barn. We were making banana-chocolate coffee cake, and one of my jobs was to mash the banana. I put the banana into a bowl and proceeded to chase it around with the back of a spoon, the banana sliding all over the place. Ina came over and showed me that if you put the banana on a cutting board and mash it with a fork instead, that banana will be history in no time. Sounds simple, and it was—a simple change that made a huge difference.
In the two years since, I've learned much more in Ina's kitchen—she's imparted wisdom in everything, be it arranging flowers or carving a chicken. I've grabbed some great tips and tricks that make entertaining simple, stress free, and most importantly, fun! I can't wait to share here.
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It's been a few years since I went "back to school," but the beginning of fall always makes me nostalgic for that start-of-the-school-year feeling, after-school snacks, overloaded backpacks, and especially, for oatmeal. I went to college in Maine, where fall
mornings were chilly and dark, and the thing that got me out of bed bright and early was the knowledge that a warm bowl of oatmeal with a splash of milk and brown sugar awaited me in the dining hall.
These days, I have graduated to the task of cooking my own oats. Rather than make a fresh bowl of oatmeal each morning (because sometimes, boiling water is just too much work that early in the day) I like to make a batch of this Maple Walnut Baked Oatmeal on Sunday
morning and keep the leftovers in the fridge to reheat all week long.
Baking oatmeal in the oven makes for a completely different texture than traditional stovetop oatmeal—something more akin to bread pudding than porridge. The oats are baked in a custard of milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup, and the end result tastes a lot like French toast, but it's the kind of French toast you can feel good about eating all week long. Finally, the candied maple walnuts on top add a little bit of decadence without being an early-morning sugar overkill.
If you usually think of oatmeal as a bowl of gluey, cardboard-tasting mush, this recipe
is for you. I will be the first to admit that plain oats cooked with water are far from inspiring, but the maple syrup, crunchy
toasted walnuts and healthy dose of cinnamon make these totally irresistible. My tip is to use a mix of rolled oats and oat bran—a cereal milled from oats that's super high in fiber and protein. Oat bran has a fine grain and cooks more quickly than whole oats, so it makes for very creamy oatmeal with chewier whole oats throughout.
This recipe reheats incredibly well. I usually reheat a bowlful with a splash of milk over low heat, or even in the microwave on more rushed mornings. The first version of this recipe I made had blueberries, but I found the oatmeal holds up much better if you add fresh fruit on the side each morning rather than baking it in with the oats. I like a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt on the side, too, but the oatmeal is equally great on its own.
It's not just for weekday mornings, either. Ina always finds easy ways to serve breakfast to a crowd—instead of individual fried eggs, she makes one big frittata, and instead of flipping pieces of French toast, she makes French Toast Bread Pudding. Similarly, this oatmeal would be great for feeding a group first thing in the morning, or as part of a larger brunch spread. It really couldn't be easier for a group, especially if you have two baking dishes, as the recipe doubles beautifully.
Get my recipe here.
Lidey Heuck works as Ina Garten's assistant, social media manager, and occasional recipe tester. She lives in East Hampton, NY.
