Loaded Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

Bottom Apple Layer

• 3 Ambrosia Gold® apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 4 Tbsp salted butter, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla powder

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ⅔ cup crushed pecans

Oatmeal Topping

• 4 cups oatmeal

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

• 1 ½ cups milk, or milk substitute

• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

• ¾ cup coconut oil, melted

• ¾ cup honey, or coconut sugar

• 3 eggs, beaten, or 3 flax egg substitutes

Garnish

• ½ Ambrosia Gold® apple, thinly sliced

• ½ cup pecans, crushed

Directions:

Bottom Apple Layer

1. Heat oven to 350º F.

2. Place chopped apples and pecans in a large bowl and toss with melted butter. Add the cinnamon, vanilla and sugar and mix well. Pour apple mixture into a greased 9x13 glass pan.

Oatmeal Layer

1. In a small bowl, mix the oatmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together and set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk, coconut oil and honey and mix well until combine.

3. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix.

4. Pour oatmeal mixture over the apple layer and spread evenly over the apples.

5. Using a microplane, slice an apple into 6-8 thin slices and place on top of the oatmeal layer. Add the pecans over the casserole.

6. Bake for an hour.

7. Remove from oven and serve with half and half and drizzle with a bit of caramel.

Recipe by Noelle Kelly, Opera Singer in the Kitchen