Baked Oatmeal

     One of my family's favorite breakfasts has been oatmeal for some time, now.  I was so disappointed to find out that oatmeal was off limits on a gluten free diet, until I learned that the reason why oatmeal was not gluten free was because of contamination from gluten-containing grains.  I was excited to see that Bob's Red Mill manufactures gluten free oats in a dedicated facility. 
     While I realize that a very small amount of people with gluten intolerance cannot handle oats at all because the protein in oats is similar to, though not the same as, gluten, that has not been the case for my family, thank God!  I found a recipe for baked oatmeal on allrecipes.com that sounded good as a starting point.  I altered the recipe to meet my family's preferences and needs, making this breakfast delicious, healthy, and very satisfying.
     While oatmeal cooked over the stove can have a somewhat slimy texture that is unappetizing to some, this oatmeal has a pleasant mouth-feel and taste.    
     Traditionally, my husband and I made an elaborate breakfast on Christmas morning which included pancakes.  This year, we decided to make the baked oatmeal in lieu of pancakes and invited my in-laws to come for breakfast.  It turned out to be a big hit.  My father-in-law normally hates oatmeal, but he loved this recipe so much that my mother-in-law requested the recipe from me! 
     In the future, we will be changing our tradition and will make baked oatmeal instead of pancakes on Christmas mornings in the future.  Incidentally, we also had scrambled eggs, MSG-free and GF breakfast sausage, GF Cranberry Nut Bread (recipe found at http://www.elanaspantry.com/cranberry-walnut-bread-revised/ ), apples, orange juice, milk for those who could have it, and coffee (for those who could have it).  Over all, it was a very nice breakfast. 
     A great thing about this recipe is that you can double it and refrigerate the leftovers to eat throughout the week.  Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal    serves 8-10
6 c. gluten-free oats
1 c. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
4 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
2 c. rice milk
4 large eggs
1 c. grapeseed oil, light-tasting olive oil, OR
          melted unrefined coconut oil
1 1/2 Tbs. pure gluten-free vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. raisins (or you can use dried cranberries, which is what
          I used on Christmas morning for that holiday flare)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.   Oil a 9x13 baking dish.  Mix all the ingredients together well and pour in the prepared baking dish.  Bake until golden, 45-55 minutes.