Recipe ReDux: Kahlua & Cream Oatmeal [sponsored]

Did you know that 99% of Americans do not meet the daily whole grain recommendations and 85% fall short of dairy recommendations? That means you and your family could be missing out on calcium, Vitamin D, potassium and fiber! Ward off that osteopenia/osteoporosis and keep your GI tract happy! (Your body will thank you for it.)

Quaker Oats and The National Dairy Council challenged me to make a ReDux members to develop creative and tasty breakfasts, snacks or side dishes featuring the power of whole grain oats with the goodness of reduced/low-fat dairy. (By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.)

I adore oatmeal, and although I may or may not be very slightly lactose-intolerant, it has not stopped me from drinking the milk from Homestead Creamery. (Apparently, they sell it here too!) I very, very rarely drink alcohol (think 1 tbsp every couple years, if even, and by tablespoon, I mainly just mean Kahlua in a dessert of some sort), but my favorite “drink” is a White Russian without the vodka, which…is essentially just Kahlua & Cream. :P

My favorite way to add some protein to my oatmeal (and to give it a fluffier, creamier texture!) is to throw in an egg, and the chilled sliced bananas add a nice contrast to the hot oatmeal! You can adjust the kahlua:water/milk ratio if you’d like more than just a hint of it in your oatmeal. :] This recipe makes about two servings!

Kahlua & Cream Oatmeal

Ingredients:
-1.5 ripe bananas (1 mashed, 0.5 sliced + chilled)
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract
-1 cup old-fashioned oats
-1 cup 2% Homestead Creamery milk
-1/2 cup water
-1/4 cup Kahlua
-1 egg
-ground cinnamon, to taste
-dash of sea salt

Instructions:
1) Fill a bowl with hot water and place the egg (still in shell) in for ~1 minute.
2) Combine milk, kahlua, water, 1 mashed banana, and oatmeal into a pot on medium/low heat.
2) Crack the egg into the pot and bring the oatmeal to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Stir continuously until the oats soften and the liquid thickens.
3) Add the vanilla extract and sea salt.
4) Cook to desired consistency. If it’s too thin, cook it a little longer (may get somewhat mushy though). If it’s too thick, add a little more liquid.
5) Top with sliced bananas and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.