Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

It's officially fall. This means that, for the next 6 months, it's also officially Casserole Season: holiday potlucks, visitors, and hearty meals for cold weather and over-scheduled families.

Fortunately, my talented and very smart friend Kathy has come up with the answer to all of your What-casserole-am-I-going-to-make-next? dilemmas:

The 8X8 Cookbook: Square Meals for Weeknight Family Dinners, Desserts and More -- In One Perfect 8X8 Inch Dish

Great idea for a book, eh? See? I told you that she is smart.

This book is the first venture from Kathy's new publishing company, Burnt Cheese Press, and she has been involved in every step of the process, from concept development to final cover design---no small feat!

She asked a few of my fellow food bloggers and me if we would create a selection of breakfast, dinner, sides and dessert recipes from her book to help promote the launch of her 8X8 Cookbook Kickstarter Campaign. Through this campaign, your support receives rewards such as signed copies of the cookbook and adorable "How to Make Mac and Cheese" tee shirts designed by Kathy's daughter. Not a bad return on investment!

For my recipe, I chose Baked Blueberry Oatmeal, something that would be just as good for a hearty, make-ahead breakfast as it would be for dessert, warmed up and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. I'd never made baked oatmeal before, despite the fact that I'd heard about it and was intrigued by the concept of the quintessential wholesome breakfast recipe served in neat flavor-packed squares.

Kathy's recipe is a winner on all levels: It took me 10 minutes to mix together. It baked up beautifully--golden brown and fragrant. And its taste was reminiscent of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. I will most definitely make it again over the holidays, and I might even play around with the dried fruit and nut combination, depending what I have on hand. Thanks, Kathy, and congratulations on the launch of your cookbook AND your Kickstarter campaign.