Browned Butter Oatmeal with Bananas

  At our house, weekday breakfast generally consists of a smoothie made from yogurt and fruit. We seldom have time to linger over our coffee, engage in polite conversation, or spend time cooking up morning treats.  So, we take our smoothies to go in stainless mugs.  And most of the time we pick up our coffee at the office.

But, things are different on the weekend.  At our humble abode, weekend mornings are slow and somewhat lazy.  They are days when we have time to enjoy long walks around the dewy neighborhood, piping hot cups of cabin coffee, fat newspapers, and deliciously indulgent breakfasts.  Sometimes that means sitting down to a full plate of eggs, sausages and toast. Other times, it means enjoying something as simple as a steeping hot bowl of deliciously filling oatmeal. 

This oatmeal is ideal for just that sort of weekend morning – when you have a bit of time to let the oatmeal cook while you spend your time putting on a pot of coffee and watching butter turn from a delicious golden to a nutty brown.  

You’ll love the way the sweetness of the bananas play off of the nutty oats and complement the deep caramel tones of browned butter and brown sugar.  It’s the sort of breakfast that brings together the heartiness of stick-to-your-ribs grains with a subtle sweetness that makes breakfast feel like a treat.  

And, on the weekend, what more can you really ask for?

Browned Butter Oatmeal with Bananas


You can find this recipe, along with plenty of other mouthwatering dishes, on GoBoldWithButter.com  Seriously -- you should check it out.  So. Much. Good. Food. 

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Milwaukee Mardi Gras, Part II: Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

If you thought we were done celebrating... well, you've got another thing comin'.   Those amazing langostinos & grits were just the main course. Now we're moving on to dessert!

Yeah, I said dessert.  And I meant it.


I'm a big fan of bread pudding.  First -- although I know that not everyone would agree -- in my world there are no bad bread puddings.  There are good bread puddings.  And better bread puddings.  And then there are the best bread puddings.

The best bread puddings are rich and custardy.  They're made with light, fluffy bread that puffs up like a souffle as it finishes cooking.  Best of all, these bread puddings have a lovely hard sauce poured over them.  Usually, the sauce is made with bourbon or whiskey.  But, I've been persuaded by decadent rum sauces, and even the occasional sauce made with brandy. The fact is, sauce is important. Even a so-so pudding can be transformed into something far more palatable if you pair it with the proper sauce.

So... when I decided to get a little creative with bread pudding for this year's Mardi Gras dinner, I figured there was very little risk involved.

This particular variation is an an adaptation of that famous New Orleans dessert, Bananas Foster, crossed with another Southern classic, bread pudding.   This is a custard-style bread pudding, which means it's tender and moist, and loaded with milk and eggs.  It's also studded with a double dose of banana goodness -- pureed banana in the custard base, and sliced bananas layered between each decadent custard soaked bread layer.   (Not so secretly, I think this particular bread pudding would be more than appropriate to eat for breakfast...  it's got both eggs and fruit in it after all...)

The best part of all is (of course) the sauce, which is absolutely swoon-worthy and really makes this dish feel like dessert.  It's made from a generous portion of high quality dark rum, sweet brown sugar, a splash of cream, and a pinch of cinnamon.  And it's easier than sin to make.  So, there will be no excuses for not going through the motions of making it.

Heck, even if you're not a bread pudding fan, make the sauce.  It would be awesome poured over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce


©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.