Monster Cookie Bars

I got this recipe courtesy of my friend Tashia, who was one of those incredibly awesome people you could only meet in college. She also has excellent taste in food, so when she recommends something, I'm always interested. (According to Tashia, she didn't create this recipe, but found it elsewhere on the interweb. So to the creator, thank you.)

Monster cookies are among my favorites, and I've tried a few other bar cookie versions, but they've always ended up too cakey. These bars are thinner and don't have any flour, so they end up tasting exactly like a monster cookie should -- peanut buttery and full of chocolate and chewy oats. But without the hassle of shaping and baking individual cookies.

Also, these bars are very versatile. I mean, if a recipe calls for 4 1/2 cups of oatmeal, that counts as breakfast, right? Right.

Monster Cookie Bars
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 c. oats (Tashia used half quick and half regular, so that's what I did, too)
1 c. M&Ms
3/4-1 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan or spray it with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Stir in eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, until well blended. Stir in oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips.

3. Using your hands, press batter evenly into pan.

4. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool a bit before cutting into squares.