Fact: I love surfing the web and discovering tasty recipes, especially when they come from respected bed & breakfasts, country and urban inns.
With that in mind, I’m happy to bring you a taste of the web through a new series I’m calling InnCognito, where I scour the internet in search of terrific recipes shared on B&B (and inn) sites.
To kick things off, I’m introducing a recipe adapted from the Westby House, a Victorian Inn & Restaurant. Located in the scenic region of southwest Wisconsin (not far from La Crosse), the Westby House attracts travelers from Midwestern cities such as Madison, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Dubuque, as well as visitors from throughout the country.
Banana Walnut Oat Bake, before baking
Through the Westby House’s charming and easy-to-navigate web site, I found a recipe entitled Baked Oatmeal. Full of oats, brown sugar and cinnamon goodness, it contained everything I find most comforting on cool mornings. But what I appreciated most about this inn’s recipe, were the suggestions for adaptions. Having 2 ripe bananas on hand and a huge package of walnuts in the freezer, I set about adapting this recipe Inn-Cuisine style, baking up something my family would enjoy, as well as our friends and guests.
The end result? A tempting recipe for Banana Walnut Oat Bake. It’s a surefire tummy pleaser and a perfect side for any breakfast or brunch. Enjoy!
Banana Walnut Oat Bake, fresh from the oven
Banana Walnut Oat Bake
(recipe featured on Inn Cuisine, as adapted from the Westby House)
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 & 1/2 cups sticks unsalted butter, melted (updated 9/29/09)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for baking.
In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together, stirring to thoroughly combine. Pour mixture into a greased 9″x9″ baking dish and place in preheated 350 degrees F oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until the center of this oat bake is set and no longer jiggles (if you have any doubts as to doneness, insert a long, wooden skewer into the center of bake—when it comes out moist but clean, the bake is done). This dish may then be served immediately or held up to 1 hour in warm (but turned off) oven.
Note: The original version of this recipe called for the use of oatmeal in place of the old-fashioned oats. I found that by using oats instead, the end result was befitting as a breakfast side versus a main course. This adaptation allows for a wonderful alternative to potatoes, toast or pancakes as a breakfast starch. Banana Walnut Oat Bake pairs nicely with eggs, fruit and yogurt.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I so love your wholesome cake!! Looks a real beauty too!
I was browsing to see if I had all of the ingredients available and I do:D
Looks like a delicious AND healthy breakfast bread. This is my first visit to your blog and I love the idea of searching B & B’s for recipes! Keep ‘em coming!
We have blog-sister ESP again. I made banana bread this morning!
Sophie & Barbara – Hi & thanks for your comments. Not to disillusion you, but this oat bake is neither a cake or bread, more like a Banana Walnut Oat casserole. That noted, it could definitely replace coffee cakes & morning breads, as well as act as a perfect stand-in for hash browns. Hope you’ll give the recipe a try. Thanks for dropping by!
Val – So you had all the ingredients on hand? Let me know when & if you bake this…
Maris – Too funny. I’m beginning to think we’re actually related
Ooh, that looks delicious!
i’ve never used bananas in something quite like this, but it’s an outstanding alternative to the overdone banana bread. also, it must be said that i love the title of your post–bravo.
I’ll bookmark this to make the next time I have weekend guests. I can imagine the aroma rising up the stairs to greet them in the morning.
Looks delicious! A great idea for the cooler mornings that are here now.
I absolutely love the idea of a baked oatmeal. Will bookmark this one for a weekend breakfast!
oh my..I’m all over this bake..love the bananas here!
oh boy, i’m not really into oats but this looks good
I love baked oatmeal. There is a diner in Pennsylvania that I go to sometimes that makes it – served with warm milk it’s amazing. I’ve been looking for a good recipe and this looks great (though I’d leave out the bananas as I’m allergic. Somewhat related, I just posted a recipe for Granola which if paired with warm milk is a great cold-morning breakfast.
Great blog and thanks for the recipe.
1 and 1/2 cups butter?! Is that right? It seems like an awful lot of butter compared to the other ingredients. We are making it right now and the batter tastes VERY buttery…but not in a good way. I hope it turns out well.
Dana – According to the original recipe, 1 & 1/2 cups butter is correct. I thought it seemed like an awful lot too, and kept thinking they meant 1 & 1/2 sticks of butter, not cups. But that’s how the recipe was printed so I followed their directions, making the substitution of uncooked, old-fashioned oats for the oatmeal. While my version of the oat bake turned out well, I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t cut back on the amount of butter here as you see fit, perhaps by 1/2 cup of butter or more (haven’t made it using less butter, so that’s just a guess). I’ll make this again soon, using a stick and a half of butter to two sticks versus the three, and see how it turns out. Who knows—perhaps the original recipe was misprinted, but the end casserole tasted fine to me and when you spread out the amount of butter per serving, it’s not as bad as it first seems. Thanks for your question.
Yum, this looks like a wonderful addition to weekend breakfasting! Thanks for sharing! I’m definitely giving it a try!
~ingrid
A Note To All Readers – Upon further reflection, I’ve decided to edit this recipe to read 1 & 1/2 sticks of butter rather than cups. I’m sure the original recipe was just a misprint. My apologies for any inconvenience or confusion this might have caused.