Oatmeal Mondays

I was instantly put in the holiday spirit after doing some Christmas shopping this weekend.  There is something about a department store decorated with fake trees, tons of glittery ornaments and music blaring through the speakers that gets you excited about Santa Claus coming to town.

I try not to overlook one of my favorite holidays though, which is Thanksgiving, so I've picked a breakfast item that bridges the gap between the two.  With molasses, brown sugar, and three different spices, this gingerbread baked oatmeal would be the perfect breakfast to serve to your Thanksgiving and Christmas guests.  Add a sliced banana, a healthy dollop of Greek yogurt or a splash of milk, and you've got a complete meal.

So comforting and hearty, this breakfast will have you ready for your Thanksgiving feast and Santa's arrival :)

Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal

Source: Budget Bytes

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup dark molasses (not blackstrap, not light)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups milk
• 2½ cups old-fashioned oats

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the molasses, brown sugar, eggs, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Once everything is well combined, whisk in the milk.
2. Stir in the oats. Coat an 8×8 (or similar sized) baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the oat mixture in. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the oats have soaked up all of the moisture and the center of the dish is firm to the touch.
3. Serve hot or refrigerate and eat cold.