Oatmeal with Cobbler Topping

I love oatmeal.  But when I stumbled on a recipe for oatmeal with a cobbler topping, I originally thought it sounded a little funny.  I mean, cooked oats topped with raw oats? How many kinds of oats does one dish need?

But since I love cobbler topping, I decided to give a try anyway.  I cooked some oatmeal, chopped up apples and walnuts and threw the cobbler topping together.  And it turned out to be so delicious!  I was really glad that I didn't mix in the cobbler topping into the oatmeal but left it on the top -- I loved the contrast of temperatures and textures that the topping brought (the butter and brown sugar sure didn't hurt, either).

This is also very versatile, too - use steel cut or regular oatmeal, any kind of fruits (even frozen would work), with or without sweeteners, with or without nuts...the list goes on! It would be easy to incorporate your preferences and whatever is in your pantry.

Although making the topping isn't hard, it's still not something I normally do when I'm rushed on a weekday morning.  However, it makes for a great weekend breakfast when I can spare the extra 2 minutes to make the topping.

Oatmeal with Cobbler Topping for Two
Adapted from: Lauren's Latest  (who gives instructions on how to make steel cut oatmeal)
Serves 2

• Hot cooked oatmeal, steel cut or rolled (For 2 servings of regular oatmeal, I put 1 cup of regular rolled oats in the rice cooker with 1 1/2 cups of water.  It's done in about 5-10 minutes. Once it's done cooking, I add a little milk to make it extra creamy.)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (I've also used white whole wheat flour)
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons regular rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• Extra sweeteners like maple syrup or brown sugar (brown sugar is my preference
• Fruit, fresh, dried and/or frozen (I used chopped apples and sometimes throw in dried cranberries)
• Extra nuts, such as almonds, walnuts or pecans (I use walnuts)

1. For the cobbler topping, stir together the butter, vanilla, sugar, flour, cinnamon, oats and walnuts in a small bowl.  
2. Add oatmeal to a bowl, add any mix-ins like sweeteners, fruit or nuts.  Top each bowl with prepared topping.  Serve warm.