Savory bacon-veggie hotcakes: one pan, loads of flavor

Recently on Good Morning East Texas, I was asked to share a recipe that would be handy to pull out during the holidays to make for visiting family members and friends. Something different, but not difficult, I thought, is what I would like to share with everyone.

I shared a recipe inspired by a recipe for pancakes over on a great food blog I think you guys might enjoy, RecipeGirl.com. I was searching for a recipe idea that would be great for a chilly morning when folks are home together around the kitchen table or bar, ready to visit in their pajamas and have a simple, even rustic breakfast together, or perhaps something good for a Sunday night supper, when you’re too relaxed to stress over a big dinner preparation. Lori’s hotcake idea seemed like a great way to go!

The only real change I made is that I just cooked everything in the same big frying pan. I sauteed the bacon pieces, then added the veggies to that mixture, and when they were soft, I scooted them to one side of the pan and added the pancake batter to the other side, then proceeded with topping the pancakes and flipping. They turned out really great! Everyone asked for more. 🙂 I served with maple syrup, salsa, and sour cream, so everyone could choose their favorite way to top their savory hotcakes.

Here’s the recipe:

Savory veggie-bacon hotcakes

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 cup frozen, canned or fresh corn
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
warm maple syrup, for serving (and/or butter, sour cream or salsa)

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to brown. Add the onion and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion is softened. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the bacon mixture for topping the griddle cakes upon serving and set it aside (optional).

2. Add to bacon and onion in pan the corn and chopped chives. Allow to saute a few moments (it will take longer for frozen corn to be heated through than canned or fresh). When corn is done, either remove all to a bowl and add olive oil to pan, or just scoot it all into a pile on one side and begin adding pancake batter to pan, right there in the bacon fat!

3. To make batter: in a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, milk, egg, cayenne pepper and oil. Stir to blend until flour is combined with wet ingredients, but still a bit lumpy.

4. Pour about 1/4-cup of the batter onto the pan.(I was able to get three pancakes in my pan at a time). After a minute, top with a good pinch of shredded cheese and a spoonful or two of the veggie mixture. Flip pancake to cook on the veggie side for a minute or two. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Serve stacks of griddle cakes topped with a sprinkle of the reserved bacon and warn and onion mixture if you saved some, and maple syrup or other toppings.

The nice thing about these hotcakes is that you can customize them with your own favorite cheese and veggie combination! The sky is the limit for this simple meal that would be suitable for breakfast, brunch, or supper!

Enjoy!

You might also like: Grits with summer vegetable saute