My brother and sister-in-law recently returned from Iceland and they came back with a (supposed...eh hem) recipe for a traditional rhubarb and oat pie/cake. Since I have yet to see this recipe I will continue to guilt trip them into sharing it with me....especially if Henry wants me to make it for his birthday! Little-sistering aside, I did some research of my own and found a traditional cake called Happy Marriage Cake using rhubarb, jam and an oatmeal based batter. While I'm never one to shy away from cake for breakfast (because you're actually crazy if you do), it's not always the best life choice. So, I let it influence a heart healthy but still super tasty breakfast recipe.

Baked oatmeal is one of my go-to breakfasts for a crowd. It's also a great thing to make ahead for a quick breakfast during the work week. I will admit, I'm not really a big traditional oatmeal fan. If you're with me on team "I hate eating things that make me feel like a baby bird..." then we probably have similar feelings about oatmeal. Baked oatmeal, however, is a love of mine. It's hearty and chewy and not at all watery or porridge like - it's more like eating Thanksgiving dressing (<-- look it up if you're like "um, what?") or a really giant chewy oatmeal bar. I haven't made it enough lately, but I'm happy to have dug out my oatmeal baking mitts to share something warm and hearty with you! 

If you don't have (or like) rhubarb, you can substitute a ton of different fruits - sliced apples, pears, strawberries, persimmons, plums, blueberries, etc. This recipe calls for milk and an egg, but if you want to make it vegan, you can leave the egg out. The oatmeal will have a bit of a looser texture, but that's about the only real difference. I used unsweetened almond milk for my baked oatmeal and it worked really well. Any kind of dairy, nut or grain milk should do. 

Don't forget: Share your baked oatmeal dishes on Instagram with #ofthedirtrecipe or tag @ofthedirt!

Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal

• 2-3 large stalks of rhubarb
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups milk (cow, almond, soy, etc.)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Honey (optional)
• Chopped fruits and nuts for serving (optional)

Spiced Yogurt

• 5-6 oz Icelandic skyr or greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Cut rhubarb into 1-2" lengths. If your stalks are on the thicker side, carefully cut them in half length wise. This will insure they become tender during baking. Set aside.

Combine rolled oats, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. If you are choosing to use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey rather than sugar, wait to add it into the milk. Pour oats into a 9" round baking dish or small casserole pan and spread even.

Whisk together milk, egg, almond and vanilla extract (and liquid sweetener, if appropriate). Pour over the oats. Arrange the rhubarb slices in any decorative manner you wish. 

Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes. 

While the oatmeal is baking, mix together skyr, spices, extract and honey. Set aside until ready to serve. This can easily be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

Serve a scoop of the baked oatmeal, warm, with a loving dollop of spiced skyr, chopped nuts/fruits and a drizzle of honey. 

Yield: 6-8 servings