This Baked Oatmeal Is My New Go-To Meal Prep Breakfast

As I've shared before, Southern Living's Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies are my favorite treat to bake and take for football watch parties. They're a fun nod to my alma mater's head coach Nick Saban and his affinity for Little Debbie's version, and they're always a hit. But every time I stock up on baking ingredients, I stress overbuy. In fear of running out of an item in the middle of a recipe, I often accidentally grab one too many packages of chocolate chips or powdered sugar, just in case. And those Saban-inspired sandwich cookies are exactly how I ended up with an entire extra container of rolled oats.

We definitely didn't need any more sweets in the house during the holidays, so I searched for a lighter way to use up the leftover oats and found this Baked Oatmeal Recipe. What initially sold me was that all I needed at the store for this big-batch baked oatmeal was a few fresh apples—everything else was already in my kitchen. Plus, my husband and I wouldn't have to think about making breakfast all week. Winner, winner.

Using this Baked Oatmeal as a meal prep recipe worked out perfectly for my schedule. Knowing that I didn't have to set aside time to whip up a scramble or smoothie streamlined my mornings. Plus, before I even came across this recipe, I had already set a goal of being more proactive about planning meals out for the week. This Baked Oatmeal would be so simple to portion into individual glass storage containers or Mason jars to bring on the go, too.

This Baked Oatmeal Recipe could not be easier to make. Stir, whisk, pour, bake, and that's it! It's got that perfect not-too-sweet but just-sweet-enough flavor that I crave with my morning cup of coffee. I loved the crunch the pecans added, but feel free to leave them off if you have an allergy in the family. You could also swap the apples for whatever fruit is in season and adjust the sugar and cinnamon ratios to your liking. I might even throw some chia or flax seeds in next time for a healthy addition.

Get the Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

When I buy rolled oats again, I'll purposefully get enough to put together this Baked Oatmeal and simplify another week of breakfasts.