Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

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I have a problem with oatmeal.  I love oats in baked goods, but I have never liked oatmeal for breakfast.  I have tried oh-so-hard to like it, because I want to, I really do.  But there's something about that gummy texture I can never get past after a few spoonfuls.  I think I finally found a way to enjoy it though - this baked oatmeal.
Of course this is a little more involved than the traditional simple oatmeal, but it's a fun way to dress it up if you have a little extra time on the weekend or something.  It's incredibly versatile too - you can use peaches, nectarines, bananas or whatever on the bottom, and any kind of berry on the top.  You can use walnuts, pecans, or even almonds I'm sure.  Whatever you fancy.  We did peaches with half raspberries, half blueberries.  Oh, and there's only a quarter up of maple syrup to sweeten the whole thing, so you really don't have to feel too guilty.  My husband went gaga over this and so did, surprisingly, my 2 yr-old.  It had a similar texture to regular oatmeal, but with a lot more interesting things going on with it.  Give it a shot!

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit
*This can be made with all rolled oats, or 3/4 c. rolled, 1/4 c. steel-cut as written

3/4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 c. steel-cut oats*
1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 c. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 T. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, chopped 1/2" thick, or 3 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 c. berries (fresh or frozen), divided

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Stir with a fork to combine.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.  Spread the sliced bananas or peaches in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with half of the berries.  Sprinkle the dry ingredients evenly over the fruit.  Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.  Top with the remaining nuts and berries.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted slightly from Annie's Eats