• Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8 X 8" pan with parchment paper with some extra going up the side so you can lift squares out later.

Oat Mixture

• Stir oats, flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.
• Beat the oat mixture in to the wet mixture until evenly mixed and thoroughly moist.
• Set aside 1 cup of the oat mixture. Press the remaining mixture in to the bottom of your pan. Mixture is thick. Use a fork to lightly pack the mixture down evenly.

Fudge Filling

• Heat the sweetened condensed milk in a microwaveable bowl for about 3 minutes on medium high. Add the chocolate chips and butter and allow mixture to sit 3-5 minutes so the chips can melt. Stir the mixture well. If there are un-melted chips return mix to the microwave and heat in 30 second bursts at medium. Stir after each 30 seconds until chocolate is thoroughly melted and can be evenly mixed with the sweetened condensed milk. Add the salt, vanilla and nuts, if using, and mix well.
• Pour the fudge mixture evenly over the oat base and smooth out with the back of a spoon.
• Use a Tablespoon and take a tablespoon at a time of the remaining oat mixture. Drop a tablespoon every 2" making for rows each way. The mixture will spread a bit during baking. This way each 2" square should have a good oat topping. This doesn't have to be precise- just try for good coverage. The mixture is too thick to spread over the fudge filling.
• Bake at 350° 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow squares to cool before cutting.
• Squares keep will in an airtight container in the fridge up to a week. You can also cut them, freeze and defrost as needed.