chocolate rebel bars

When my friend Erin K. made these for us in St. Louis I thought for sure she called them Rebel Bars. I loved the name. My husband loved the bars. Boy did he talk about those Rebel Bars! When my friend Annie in PA made them and called them Revel Bars they were equally as delicious yet the name didn't quite fit even though that's their original name so at our house we call them Rebel Bars. These will cure any hankering for chocolate. The batch is so big you can have plenty for yourself and give some to a friend which is exactly what I plan to do.

chocolate rebel bars (my friends Erin and Annie)
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter with an electric mixer. Add the brown sugar and baking soda. Beat till combined. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in the rolled oats.
For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the reserved 2 tablespoons butter, chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat till chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the walnuts or pecans and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Press 2/3 of the rolled oats mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spread filling evenly over the oat mixture. Dot remaining rolled oats mixture on filling (use your fingers to work the remaining mixture into flat pieces of various sizes; place them on the chocolate filling.)
Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate filling will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 60 bars.