CHOCOLATE OAT SQUARES

When my Taste of Home Magazine arrives, I’m always excited to post some of the great looking recipes. My Mother in Law always made these bars, and so I know that are really good. I haven’t made them for a while, and I think today might be the day. Did I mention that my husband doesn’t care for Chocolate. That means I have to eat them all!
YOU WILL NEED:

 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened, divided
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
 4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
 3 cups quick-cooking oats
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
 1 teaspoon baking soda
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips
 1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

 In a mixing bowl, cream 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda; stir into creamed mixture. Press two-thirds of oat mixture into a greased 15 by 10 by 1-inch baking pan. In a saucepan, combine milk, chocolate chips and remaining butter and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in walnuts and remaining vanilla. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into squares.