Baked Peach Oatmeal with Cinnamon Toast Crunch
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by General Mills Big G Cereals. The opinions are wholly my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Naptime Chef.)
Let’s talk whole grain in honor of National Whole Grain Month. Last month I spent 48 hours in Winnipeg, Canada with General Mills Cereal learning all about oats. I learned about everything from how grain is grown and harvested, what makes it “whole”, and why it is so important for your diet. I was shocked (shocked!) to learn that 95% of Americans don’t get enough whole grain in their diet. How did I miss such a statistic? Consuming whole grains isn’t too hard, they are found in Big G cereals, breads, and more. Yet, it seems that we never get enough.
These are the gorgeous oat fields at the Lefley Farm in Winnepeg, Canada. Oat are a non-gmo crop that thrive in this cooler climate.
We had two beautiful meals the Lefley farm. At each meal the caterer incorporated cereal with whole grain into the food.
Can you believe the cereal milk macarons? They were incredible!
The oats are harvested, delivered to Paterson Grain, a grain elevator in Winnipeg and then taken to the General Mills gluten free flour mill via train. There they are cleaned and sorted to remove grains of barley, wheat and rye, and milled into whole grain oat flour to make Gluten Free Cheerios!
When we returned from our trip I took a hard look at my diet. I wanted to make sure I was getting enough whole grain each and every day. Though I am a die-hard soft-boiled-egg-for-breakfast girl, I realized that amping up my whole grain intake could be as simple as eating a bowl of cereal. Whole Grain is the first ingredient in all General Mills Big G Cereals, meaning there is more whole grain than any other single ingredient (including sugar from all combined sources). A single serving can easily get me on my way to the recommended intake for the day.
I also decided to have some fun with my favorite cereals and use them as a topping for my other favorite breakfast dishes. I developed this delicious baked oatmeal dish based on a similar recipe we’ve always loved. It is a yummy breakfast rich in whole grain and fresh fruit with a terrific crunch topping made from Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, which is made with whole grain as the first ingredient. The flavors are warm and welcoming and I know it is healthy way for our family to start the day.
Now that I’ve learned all this about whole grain I plan to continue my quest to incorporate more of them into my family’s daily diet. It is not as hard as it is seems and the benefits are innumerable. Luckily for us it means more of enjoying the delicious Big G cereals we’ve always loved!
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by General Mills Big G Cereals. The opinions are wholly my own. My thanks to General Mills for the fascinating trip to Canada and to their photographer for the lovely photographs. I love General Mills Big G Cereals and appreciate you supporting the brands that support The Naptime Chef.)
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large, ripe peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, lightly crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the oatmeal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Then add in the chopped peaches and toss. Spread the mixture into the baking dish.
- Whisk together the sugar, milk, and cooled butter. Pour this liquid over the oatmeal mixture and press everything down so it is packed into the baking dish with the milk. Sprinkle the cereal evenly on top of the baked oatmeal and press it lightly into the oatmeal so it just sticks.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture is light brown around the edges. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
[…] when my children choose cereal. I rest assured knowing their favorites from General Mills have whole grains as the very first ingredient on the box. There are many fun flavors to choose from, and when they […]