Apple Baked Oatmeal

Ok, I know this isn't really a food blog, but I love to cook (and to eat!)... so a bit of food blog-ery is inevitable.

The other day, our office had "Apple Day".  We have a Wellness Committee that does healthy, educational activities every quarter or so.  Anyway, we were all encouraged to bring a tasty apple dish to share.  I'm a big fan of big breakfasts, so I decided to make Apple Baked Oatmeal.

I'd never made baked oatmeal before.  I only knew that I loved the oatmeal from Alterra, and that I could probably recreate something akin to it.  40 minutes of internet trolling later, I had a few recipes to cull from.  From there, as is my standard practice in the kitchen,  I winged it.

Here's what happened:

The house smelled amazing.  Despite having had a large dinner, my mouth was watering.  Did I really have to share??  But I did share.  And it was a huge hit.  And now, I share it with you:

Apple Baked Oatmeal
2 c  Rolled oats
1 1/2 c  Steel Cut Oats
5 1/2 c  Water
1/2 c Apple Cider
2 medium Apples, diced (I used Fuji, for their texture and tang)
2  Eggs, beaten
1/2 c Brown Sugar
2 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 teas. Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teas. Salt
1 teas. Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp. Melted Butter
1/3 c Dried Cranberries
1/3 c Chopped Pecans

Mix all ingredients in a greased 9 x 13" baking dish.  Bake, Covered at 350 for 40 minutes.  Stir well.  Bake uncovered another 30 mins, or until set and slightly browned on top.
*This recipe is very forgiving.  Take this as a starting point, and modify to your own taste/ dietary needs.

You can bet I'll be keeping this one in the quiver for the next time I need to feed brunch to a crowd!