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So you’ve got the family together for a big holiday celebration and now you’ve got to plan for breakfast the next day. The last thing you want to do is make an elaborate, crazy breakfast, and you probably also don’t want anything too heavy. It’s just way too much work in the morning in general, let alone after a big party. Well, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with my Savory Pear Baked Oatmeal. This is a one-pot, easy prep breakfast perfect for the day after a gigantic holiday celebration.
Have you ever made a savory oatmeal?
My husband is really into savory oatmeal. Like, really into it. He’ll even make his own little oatmeal packets so that he can take his savory oatmeal on his work trips. You don’t have to be as into it as he is, but I do recommend trying out a savory oatmeal recipe at least once. I might not be as into oatmeal as he is, but I do greatly prefer savory breakfasts to sweet ones. Very rarely do I want to wake up to a sugar bomb.
If you’re not sure about a savory oatmeal, this recipe is the perfect one to try first. Pears are excellent for bridging the gap between sweet and savory; they’re popular on cheese plates for a reason, after all. While I wouldn’t describe it as sweet, this oatmeal hits the breakfast-y umami notes with the sausage without being too crazy over the top.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pears
I often feel like pears are overlooked fall fruits, especially when compared to the popularity of pumpkins and apples. But the sweet, floral flavor of a ripe pear is worthy of celebration.
The best indication of a ripe pear is its texture. Ripe pears are soft to the touch, but you do not want them mushy or slimy. You’ll also want to avoid pears with deep gashes, bruises, or large brown spots. Another good indicator is the smell. Ripe pears will smell sweet, whereas unripe pears won’t smell of anything. Will you look weird sniffing pears at the farmers market or grocery store? Yes, maybe, but who cares? It’s worth it to find the perfect pear!
If you can’t find good pears at your local farmers market, try substituting with apples. Apples are very closely related to pears, so they’re a natural fit. It also doesn’t hurt that my recipe already calls for applesauce to bump up those fall flavors. Varieties like Golden Delicious, Gala, or Fuji would be great choices for this savory baked oatmeal, as they hit similar sweet notes as the pears.
Sausage
I used a beef kielbasa for this recipe, but you could use whatever you have on hand. Breakfast sausage links would be especially great in this savory baked oatmeal.
Or, you don’t even have to do sausage links. Sausage crumbles work well too; simply mix them into the oatmeal mixture before baking.
Rolled Oats
Rolled oats are the base for this recipe and it’s worth it to use just the right kind. It’s important to use rolled oats in this recipe. Instant oats, the ones that are parboiled or pre-cooked, will become mushy. Steel cut oats won’t cook fully in the oven and will remain crunchy.
Tips and Tricks
Get the oatmeal in the oven as soon as you’ve stirred the oats into the wet mixture. The longer the oats sit at room temperature absorbing the liquid, the drier your final oatmeal will be. If you want to turn this oatmeal into a make-ahead dish either store your pre-portioned oats and wet mixtures separately, or bake the entire thing up and reheat it the day you intend to serve it.
Also, don’t skimp on that avocado oil! I know a quarter cup seems excessive for frying up a few sausages, but that oil is important for both the texture and flavor of the oatmeal. First, the oil is necessary for preventing gummy, dry oatmeal. And second, while the avocado oil is pretty neutral on its own, it absorbs all the flavor of the sausage and helps distribute the savoriness throughout the baked oatmeal.
Serving Suggestions
Savory Pear Baked Oatmeal is excellent when served alongside plain Greek yogurt or Skyr. One day, I’m going to get around to making my own Greek yogurt, and when I do, I plan on using my Instant Pot. One of my good friends out in Nashville has had great success making her own yogurt at home, and I plan to follow her footsteps. I’ll probably start with this recipe from Homemade Food Junkie.
What about the leftovers?
Leftover baked oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Alternatively, you can freeze individual slices of the oatmeal for up to 3 months.
Whether refrigerated or frozen, I recommend reheating the oatmeal slices in the oven. I add an eighth of a cup of water to the bottom of an oven-safe dish with the oatmeal, cover with foil, and reheat in a 350deg oven for 30 minutes. The water is necessary to keep the oatmeal from drying out in the oven.
Savory Pear Baked Oatmeal
This holiday season, don't worry about breakfast the day after the party. I've got you covered with my Savory Pear Baked Oatmeal, a one-pot, easy prep breakfast perfect for mornings where you need a delicious, no-effort meal.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 4 kielbasa sausages, sliced in half lengthwise
- ¾ cup applesauce
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp clove
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 pears, cubed
- 3 cups rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Heat avocado oil to medium-high heat in a 10-in cast iron pan. Sear sausages until brown and then remove from the heat. Remove sausages from pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together applesauce, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, salt, milk and eggs. Pour the slightly cooled avocado oil from the cast iron pan into the mixing bowl. Do not scrape excess oil out of cast iron pan.
- Add pears and oats to the mixing bowl and stir until oats are completely covered in the mixture. Oats should not appear dry.
- Pour the oatmeal mixture back into the cast iron pan. Top with the sausage halves, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until fully set.
- Let baked oatmeal cool for about 5 minutes before serving. This will allow slices to be cut and lifted out neatly.
