Autumnal Baked porridge

Yet again another breakfast post.

I discovered oven baked porridge a year or so ago and thought it was excellent. There is no faff, you just put all the regular porridge ingredients in a dish and bake it.

You may think you would end up with a dried up piece of oatmeal-y cardboard but in fact you get this deliciously dessert-like, creamy porridge with almost a crusty, caramelised top.

I actually prefer this to regular porridge, partly because it means you don't have to stir the porridge and are less likely to get a porridge encrusted saucepan, but also because I love the flavour that this oven baked porridge seems to acquire. I think this is because baking it with all the flavours in one pot from the start allows the porridge to absorb all that depth of flavour.

The beauty of this is it is so, so cheap! Oats - bargain anywhere, milk - always in the fridge ready for a cup of tea obviously, honey/sweetener - I keep these stocked up, cinnamon - there is certainly no shortage in my kitchen. Often cinnamon can be bought really cheaply in bulk from markets or spice stalls. Go hunting for those cheap deals on a Saturday morning, it's actually so fun!

I've also put the optional extra of a spoonful of nut butter. I like to either stir this in to give an extra creaminess to the porridge or alternatively just put a random spoonful in somewhere in the pot so you get a surprise mouthful of delicious nuttiness at some point!

Today I thought I would make an autumnal baked porridge as it officially the start of Autumn. However you can add literally what ever you fancy. I have put some suggestions under the recipe below.

Autumnal Baked porridge

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup porridge oats

• 1/4 cup milk of your choice

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 apple, half grated and half sliced

• 1 tsp peanut butter or any nut butter (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan and get a large ramekin.

2. Place all the ingredients apart from the sliced apple pieces in the ramekin and place in the oven for 20-25 mins until the top looks golden and the liquid has all absorbed.

3. Take out the oven and serve with a splash more milk or yoghurt, a drizzle of honey, a sprinkling of seeds and the sliced apple.

Notes and variations:

• If there is a lack of ramekins in your kitchen, double the quantities in the recipes and use a larger baking dish (like a 20cm cake tin), then just simply refrigerate one portion of porridge. To warm up the cold porridge add a dash more water to slacken it up a bit and then either place in the microwave or a saucepan to heat through.

• Other great flavours:

• banana and honey: simply replace the apple with a mashed banana in the above recipe.

• Chocolate, hazelnut and orange: very festive and such a comfort food. Use the ratios for milk, water and oats. Add the zest of 1/4 orange and two teaspoons of Nutella (I use homemade but do use whatever you fancy and have in the cupboard)