Easy Breakfast Casserole

 The recipe this week is not a new idea by any means, but the idea of it was new to me when I found it. I think I’ve struck gold this time.
Maybe it’s my lack of ability to think outside the cereal box, but eating cold cereal hot never occurred to me. I originally came across this idea in my 1940’s edition of “The Joy Of Cooking” in the cereal chapter. I didn’t even know cookbooks included a cereal chapter before I found this book.

Mrs. Raumbaur recommended serving cold cereals with hot milk or heating the cereals topped with milk in a baking dish to make a sort of warm cereal mush, not unlike oatmeal or cream of wheat.
So, I took this idea one step further and added fruit. I had every intention of using the easy way out and using jam, but my husband suggested using frozen fruit to make a quick fruit filling instead. It turned out to be a marvelous idea! Still, if you’re in a hurry or have a particular jam you prefer, by all means use it instead.
On to the recipe!
If you enjoy hot cereals during the winter, this is a great alternative to the standard oatmeal.

Ingredients
1 . milk
1 box shredded wheat, plain or frosted
1 or 2 bags frozen mixed berries or any other fruit you prefer
1/4 c. sugar, honey, or syrup
2 tbsp. butter

Place the frozen fruit into a sauce pan. Cover with a lid and cook on medium high heat until soft. Add your sugar or sweetener to the fruit and mash lightly with the back of your spoon. Continue cooking until mixture thickens slightly.
While fruit is cooking, crush the shredded wheat into small pieces. Layer half of the crushed cereal into a 9”x 9” pan. When fruit mixture is thickened, spoon on top of the crushed shredded wheat. Layer the rest of the cereal of top of the fruit layer. At this point you can cover this with foil and place it in your refrigerator over night and finish the recipe in the morning.
Next, dot butter on top of the casserole and pour the milk over the cereal. Bake in a 400° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until hot and lightly browned. Serve with milk.