1
Preheat oven to 350F. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in the peeled and chopped sweet potato. Cook over medium heat, for about 5 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
2
Give the pot a quick rinse and then add in the oats, milk. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
3
With a potato masher, mash in the cooked sweet potato and the banana into the pot. I left some chunks for texture. Now stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook on low for another few minutes.
4
Make the crunchy pecan topping by mixing together the pecans, Earth Balance (or butter), and brown sugar with a fork. until very clumpy. Pour the oatmeal into a baker dish (I used a 10 inch pie pan) and spread out evenly. Now sprinkle on the pecan topping.
5
Transfer the oats to a casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, at 350F. After 20 minutes, set oven to BROIL and broil on low for a couple minutes, watching very closely so you do not burn the topping. Remove from oven and serve. makes 3-4 servings.
Note: You can reheat the oatmeal by mixing in a bit of milk and heating in the microwave. However, it is also very good COLD, straight from the fridge with a splash of milk too! YUM!