Apple Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

[apple*tart]

This is a great way to use up a bit of leftover pumpkin, but it's worth opening the can for. It's delicious with a light texture, and it's packed with all kinds of nutritious stuff. This is a perfect breakfast for a chilly morning. Hope you enjoy!

Apple Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal

3 medium apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups 1% milk
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
¼ cup ground flax seed meal

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF with the racks in the middle and lowest positions. Place a baking sheet on the lowest rack, if desired, to catch any spills.
2. Wash, core, peel, and chop apples into medium bite-sized pieces.
3. Melt butter in a 2-3 quart oven-safe pan (with cover) over medium heat. (Note: if you don't have an oven-safe pan in this size, use a 2-3 quart sauce pan.) When the butter is bubbling, add the chopped apples and stir to coat apples with butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar. Stir to dissolve brown sugar and coat apples. Cook until the sauce is bubbling and apples are softening, 2-3 minutes. Add salt and spices; stir to combine and evenly distribute the spice.
4. Reduce heat to medium low. Add pumpkin, stir well. Slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook until warm and fragrant, 2-3 minutes more.
5. Add flax and oats. Stir until thoroughly combined.
6. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. (Note: if you used a sauce pan in step 3, transfer the oat mixture to a 2-3 quart baking dish lightly sprayed with oil. Cover and bake as directed.) Serve hot.

Servings: 5
Each serving has 350 calories, 7.5 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, and 10 grams of protein.

Variations
To add dried fruit: at the end of the baking time, stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried fruit into the oatmeal. Cover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
With maple syrup: Replace up to half of the brown sugar with (real) maple syrup.
Apple Cinnamon (no pumpkin): Omit pumpkin, ginger, and nutmeg.