Chocolate Chewies

If you don't have the time to roll out and bake up several pans full of choclate chip cookies, here's a great alternative. These chocolate oatmeal bars are rich, chewy and hard to ruin. Just make sure you have plenty of milk on hand to wash these down. 

Shopping List

Butter

Brown Sugar

Eggs

Vanilla

Flour

Baking Soda

Salt 

Oatmeal

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl combine 1 cup butter, 2 cups brown sugar, and 2 large eggs 

Mix on medium speed until ingredients form a light brown cream

Mix in 2 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt.

Slowly add in 2.5 cups flour

Once dough is formed, slowly add 3 cups dried oats

Press 2/3 of dough into the bottom of a greasted 9x13 baking dish (I prefer glass) 

The dough should barely cover the bottom of the baking dish.  

In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine:

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp vanilla

Microwave ingredients on high for 2 minutes (or until mix is hot enough to melt chocolate chips)

Add 12 oz (1 standard sized bag) of chocolate chips and stir ingredients until all chocolate chips are melted

Pour chocolate onto dough and spread until dough is covered.

Take remaining dough and place pieces on top of chocolate until only a little bit of chocolate is showing:
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes, or until top is golden brown.  Cool completely before serving.  I like to put mine in the freezer for ten minutes before cutting; it makes the bars easier to serve and helps to maintain their shape.