Baked Cranberry, Apple and Walnut Oatmeal

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day because it's the one meal that I don't mind eating for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This Baked Cranberry, Apple, and Walnut Oatmeal can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert, too.

I have been a longtime reader of Prevention RD, and I couldn't be happier when I found out that she was writing a cookbook! Nicole is a dear sweet food blogging friend of mine and I had met her at a food blogger conference back in 2011 (I'm 3.5 months pregnant with Elena here). In the picture below, everyone (except me) got to meet Tyler Florence, or got an autograph with him or picture with him. I had settled for taking a picture of him from 3 feet away, and more importantly later on I got his better half - his backside with my partner in crime, Nikki.

L to R: Jessica, Nicole, Jessica, Nikki, me and Joelen (at bottom)

Nicole's cookbook couldn't have arrived at a better time for myself. Currently, I'm struggling with my weight post-pregnancy and I really want to lose that extra baby weight that is still lingering on. I have not been able to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes since 2011 (2 years in row being pregnant does that!). Before the kids, I was a regular at the gym, took spin class like it was my job and maintained my weight through healthy eating. Obviously my body needed time after my c-section to recover and although I'm a nursing mommy I did not want to start any crazy fad diets after Emilio was born. More importantly, I'm trying to cook meals that are Elena friendly and she does not like to eat boring bland food. This past week, I started my morning walks with the kids and watching my calorie intake and monitoring my calories on MyFitnessPal.

Nicole has been a big proponent on weight loss and managing your diet goals through exercise and eating right.  Her cookbook is filled with countless tasty dishes that make you forget that you are eating healthy. I have already made her Pizza Burgers, which are similar to an Italian meatloaf in a burger bun. There is her Smashed Edamame, Avocado and Ricotta Bean dip - a healthy dip perfect as any game-day appetizer. Her buttermilk whipped cauliflower mashed potatoes is my new favorite way to sneak in extra veggies and cut calories in one of my favorite classic sides. As you can tell, I have been cooking my way through her book and finding the perfect balance of happiness and health through food which is Nicole's simple approach to nutrition.

This breakfast dish was highly ideal for this busy mommy. Typically breakfast for Elena and myself have been monotonous: scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, a big bowl of mixed fruit and toast. Elena loves to spoon feed herself eggs and munch on the fruit. She loved her baby oatmeal for the longest time, but once she got a bite of scrambled eggs - it was the only thing she would touch for breakfast. Until I made this oatmeal, she grabbed the spoon away from me faster than I could scoop it up. She happily ate this oatmeal up and more. You can easily substitute other fruits to your liking but the flavor combination of cranberries, apples and walnuts are a sweet reminder of fall baking in your kitchen. This morning meal is a mix of traditional breakfast oatmeal and an oatmeal bar. It's the best of both worlds and Elena approved!

Grab a copy of Nicole's book if you are looking for healthy and balanced recipes.

Baked Cranberry, Apple and Walnut Oatmeal
Adapted from Prevention RD's Everyday Healthy Cooking
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{Printable Recipe}

Yield: 6 servings

Calories per serving: 388
Fat per serving: 15.7 g

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• freshly grated or a pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup unsweetened appleasauce
• 2 medium apples, peeled and diced (Granny Smith or FijI)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup cranberries
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• turbinando sugar, garnishment (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or Misto, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter, applesauce and eggs. Whisk until combined.
4. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix until combined. Fold in apples, cranberries and walnuts. Pour into prepared baking dish. (Optional) Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top if desired for a crunchy sugar topping.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Review: The perfect breakfast meal and it was minimal work. I had prepped the dish the night before that I had wanted to bake it, and when I woke up in the morning to feed Emilio - I popped it in the oven so it would be ready to eat by the time Elena woke up for breakfast. I kept it in the fridge for the remainder of the week and have eaten it throughout the week. When I reheat it in the microwave, I add a tablespoon of milk over the oatmeal to keep it from drying out.

And look who is 4 months today!!! I love the many faces of my little man, Emilio can go happy to sad in less than 10 seconds. Lucky I can bribe him with mommy's milk to make him happy again.