Okay. Maybe the above title is a slight exaggeration, but I stumbled upon something that kind of revolutionizes two breakfast components.
I have been jamming on some breakfast couscous lately… but on Saturday mornings, I like to try and take breakfast up a notch. Saturdays are just always kind of the best. Two traditional breakfast items that I usually never make (or eat for that matter) are pancakes and bacon. The reason I rarely eat or make them is because they are both, to me, too tedious.
Pan-frying bacon (although super-delicious) is like slow torture to me; the spitting grease stings your hands as you try to precariously grab and flip each piece- splashing it back into a pan of scalding grease. I don’t like to make food whose preparation is physically painful. Call me crazy. And, on top of that, if you are making bacon for more than 4 people, then somebody is going to be eating cold bacon.
Pancakes are kind of similar to bacon- in that they are both done in a pan and require constant tending/flipping. I would love to hear your secrets on making pancakes, but (to me) they are a mess. I never seem to get the temperature right so they either burn too quickly, or take forever… and by the time I’m through making them, there is batter everywhere. And, like bacon, if you are feeding more than two people, than somebody is eating cold pancakes. When you are at a restaurant, these items are perfect… but if you want to sit down for breakfast with more than 4 people- you need to find a different way to do things. Especially if you actually want to SIT DOWN and eat with everyone instead of standing by the stove being a rotating bacon and pancake conveyor belt.
I, of course, saw the idea on Pinterest. The pin description read, “Baked Pancake Squares” with a super fluffy, buttery picture attached. It took me to a great website called Big Red Kitchen and a post called, “Pancake Squares.” Seemed simple enough: mix batter, put in baking dish, bake. These are things I can DO! So, this past Saturday, I did them! I didn’t have a glass baking dish the recommended size, so I used a baking pan- which also worked… I just set the timer for a little less than recommended and watched it for the last few minutes, or so.
Since I had the oven going, I thought I would try another trick that I had been meaning to try. Baking bacon. How fun is that sentence? I just placed the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and threw it in the oven with the pancake squares. And then I watched the first 20 minutes of Survivor and had cup of coffee. Do you know what I didn’t do? Slave over a hot stove for twenty minutes. I took out the pancake dish when it passed the poke test in the center and took the bacon out before it burned. Best part? They were both ready at roughly the same time and were warm when I ate them. Total win. The pancake squares were fluffy and super tasty; the bacon was cooked exactly how I like it. Since they are pancakes with little nutritional value (I call ’em, “lil’ diabetes makers,”) this trick will only get used on special occasions… but believe me when I say this- I will never make pancakes the traditional way again.
Do you have the secret to perfect pancakes? Do you think anthropomorphized pancakes are funny? Let us know!
Ooh, I’ve never heard of these baked pancakes- Must try! I kinda love to flip pancakes, but I totally hear you about the standing over the stove when trying to serve a crowd. Not as much fun. And baking bacon is awesome. I’ve done it a bunch. Less pain, indeed. Harper’s gonna love that bacon face!
I’ve been baking bacon for years! And if you do it on a roasting pan with a rack, all the grease dribbles down into the pan. Then I put the pan in the fridge until the grease is solid and slide it all right into the trash! Win!
We love pancakes on Saturday mornings. Can’t wait to try this!
try baking bacon with either blackberry jam or honey mustard on it… crazy good.
whoa whoa whoa… hold the phone. Those BOTH sound amazing! Those both make so much sense. As if I needed an excuse to eat bacon. Thanks for reading, Bob!