Apple Pie Oatmeal

Today I have an oatmeal recipe even the oatmeal haters will like! Last Friday my husband was off so I decided to surprise him with some sweet smelling brunch. I woke up, walked Maverick in the pouring rain, and got to work on this Apple Pie Oatmeal. And then the craziest thing happened... it started to snow... and didn't stop for 2 days. What?! I was definitely caught off guard, but I have to tell you: our house felt so cozy smelling the apple and cinnamon together while watching the snow flakes fall outside. It was wonderful. My husband who normally doesn't like oatmeal really liked this recipe too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• butter
• brown sugar
• 1 apple chopped into small cubes (Granny Smith preferred but I used Gala)
• cinnamon
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 2.75 cups of whole milk (I used Lactaid Skim and it still tasted amazing)
• 1 orange
• mint sprig (optional)

Melt butter in a large pan over medium low/ medium heat. Once melted, add a handful (or two) of brown sugar and mix. Add chopped apple and cinnamon and stir.

Add oatmeal and milk to saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until softened. Meanwhile add fresh squeezed orange juice to apple mixture. Zest orange into oatmeal saucepan.

Once apples are finished (they'll be done before the oatmeal), pour out into separate pan and let cool in refrigerator.

Once everything is completed, take out for, small serving bowls (mine were slightly larger than ramekins) and plate accordingly: an ice cream scoop of oatmeal, then the apple mixture, and then top with another scoop of oatmeal. Sprinkle top with brown sugar and a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay