Bacon Buttermilk Pancakes

Mardi Gras has never really been a big deal for me. Maybe it's because I'm a bit of a homebody (going out with a mass of drunken idiots just isn't really my kind of fun). But I think it's more likely that because I was raised Lutheran, and we never gave anything up for Lent, the idea of having to "get stuff out of my system" was never present.

However, In the past couple of years I made the discovery of Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday. Well, an excuse to eat pancakes for dinner. That I can get on board with.

I used a recipe for Gale Gand's buttermilk pancakes that I found online. They called for a cup of blueberries, but lately I've been hearing about bacon pancakes, and well, that sounded interesting. So I replaced the blueberries with crispy-cooked bacon.


The pancakes themselves were delicious. I don't often make pancakes from scratch (probably because I usually make them in the morning when I am extra lazy and a mix is easier) but this was a great recipe. I was a little surprised that they weren't baconier (is that even a word), it was more that they had a salty undertone (which was good, don't get me wrong). The maple syrup was an absolute necessity and a delicious addition. I need more excuses to make pancakes for dinner, yum.

Here's the recipe (adapted from Gale Gand's Brunch!)

Bacon Buttermilk Pancakes

- makes 10 3-to 4-inch pancakes -

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
12 slices bacon, diced and cooked crisp

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then mix in the buttermilk, milk, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon, leaving plenty of lumps. Transfer the batter to a pitcher with a pour spout.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (after you've cooked a few pancakes, you may want to turn the heat down to medium-low so your pancakes don't brown too quickly. Melt 1 teaspoon butter on it (when the griddle starts to get dry as you're cooking, add more butter, 1 teaspoon at a time) and heat the butter until it foams.

Pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the griddle to make each pancake, leaving space in between for spreading. Sprinkle each pancake with about a tablespoon of bacon. When the top of each pancake is done bubbling and no longer looks wet and the underside is lightly browned (about 3 minutes), flip the pancake and cook it on the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately, or keep warm on a plate in a 200-degree oven while you cook some more pancakes.