Tropical Oatmeal

If you know me well, you will be confused by the title of this post.
We don't really eat oatmeal.
I have never had a taste for it, I never fed it to my babies, never once have I cooked up a pot full on a cold winter morning.
Our HOH (Head of House) does enjoy a bowlful every now and again. He will even go so far as to put raisins in it. The whole ordeal has always had a sort of off-putting effect on me. I've never cared for the stuff.
That's a lie. Give me an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter cookie in the morning and you have yourself a breakfast of champions right there.
With this background in mind, here is my confession - I have made oatmeal twice in the past couple of weeks. Yes, the boil over the stove, take's a hot minute, old fashioned pot of oatmeal. I had picked up some esthetically packaged oats at the store not long ago because, it's a good thing to have on hand for the aforementioned cookies (and because I have been known to make a purchase based on esthetic packaging), and had a whim to try the recipe on the back of the package. Since I was obviously searching for my inner Ma Ingles and we happened to have dried apples in the pantry, I went to work.
It turned out not half bad. Of course, any bowl of oatmeal isn't half bad when paired with overflowing tablespoons of brown sugar or maple syrup.
Not being completely turned off by this oatmeal venture, and eyeing the dried Mango in the pantry, I thought I might explore the idea of a tropical version. A long time ago in a restaurant far far away, I witnessed oatmeal topped with a sugared crust. Mango & crusty brown sugar, this seemed like a pairing worthy of a second go around.
The result was very tasty. So much so that I just might eat it again.

Tropical Oatmeal

3 C Water
1 1/2 C Oatmeal
4-5 slices dried Mango, sliced
1/4-1/2 C brown sugar
Cinnamon
Unsweetened Almond Milk, to taste

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and salt to boil. Stir in oatmeal and sliced mango and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let simmer, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. When most of the liquid is absorbed, pour into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon & brown sugar and set under the broiler until the sugar is melted and bubbly. Pour in the desired amount of milk for creaminess.
Additional toppings: coconut, fresh mango, chopped pecans, slivered almonds, pistachios.
This recipe feeds 3-4 people. I used a pie plate for broiling and serving.

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