Oatmeal Chip Bars

Some people go all out for Super Bowl Sunday, inviting hordes of people and making every appetizer imaginable.

We’re not those people.

It’s not that we don’t like hordes of people and every appetizer imaginable, it’s just that the hubby likes to actually sit and watch the game in relative peace. And I like the commercials best, so I prefer to have the TV at a volume where I can actually hear them. (I’m more than a little hard of hearing; my volume levels frighten normal people.)

My brother Cory is stopping by, and we’re going to dine in style on pizza paninis and stovetop-smoked ribs. Possibly even brownies. But for my first course, I’ve got a hankering for oatmeal chip bars.

I started making this recipe a few years ago when I was hungry for cookies, but didn’t have the time to bake a full batch. And I’m not a fan of regular chocolate chip bars. They’re kind of hard and cakey and blah. Oatmeal makes all the difference. I love oatmeal in just about everything.

Except for the hamburgers my grandma once made me. The meat was still frozen, and she was convinced that adding a bunch of oatmeal would thaw the meat. There’s nothing quite like biting into a charred hamburger, only to have dry oatmeal fall out the middle.

But back to the bars.

You can add any kind of chips you like – milk chocolate, semisweet, butterscotch, whatever tickles your fancy. I prefer a combination of milk chocolate and semisweet; I don’t like butterscotch at all. So I usually add some butterscotch when I’m on a diet. It’s very effective. (That’s the only diet I can handle. The make-food-you-don’t-like diet.)

Oatmeal Chip Bars
Serves 16

2 sticks butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
2 c. quick oats
2 c. assorted chips (milk chocolate, semisweet, butterscotch, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

2. Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until creamy.

3. Combine the dry ingredients, and add them to the mixer bowl. Mix well.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until bars are lightly golden.

Sorry, you caught me in mid-bite.