My biggest food discovery last year was at a the local standard, Crossroads Cafe in Joshua Tree. I had ordered a dish called Piggy Pancakes thinking it was pancakes with a side of bacon. To my surprise, two large pancakes arrived and nothing else. I was dismayed, but dug in anyways.
As I cut into the pancakes, I discovered cheese, scallions and bacon all mixed into the batter. I was intrigued. I added a little bit of maple syrup and suddenly I had the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors. I was hooked.
After many attempts of recreating this at home, mostly struggling with a good pancake batter, I am excited to share this with you. It’s my favorite new dish, and, since it’s savory, I think it’s fair game for dinner.
These are all typical ingredients, but combining them in a slightly different way transforms them into a delicious and surprising dish. It will make you happy! I suggest making the pancake batter at home to reduce prep time at camp.
Cheddar and Bacon Pancakes
Yield
4 servingsPrep Time / Cook Time
/Activity Guide
Car CampingIngredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 4 strips of bacon, cooked and finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, in 1/8 in cubes
- maple syrup
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Medium bowl
- Skillet
- Spatula
- Whisk or fork
- Large zip top bag
Method
At Home:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, oil, and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.
- Add green onions and bacon to the batter and mix.
- Carefully pour batter into a large zip top bag and store in refrigerator or cooler until you are ready to make the pancakes.
At Camp:
- Heat skillet on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Don’t skimp on the oil, especially if your skillet is not non-stick.
- When skillet is hot, pour batter into skillet (about 2-3 tablespoons worth) and immediately sprinkle the cheese cubes in the pancake.
- Flip your pancake when batter has little bubbles coming through. Use the spatula to press down on the pancake a little.
- Your pancake is ready when the second side is golden brown with beautiful melted pockets of cheese.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup (real maple syrup!!).
Thanks for the great content with all of your recipes on your site. This is a great idea combining the best of both worlds. You can’t go wrong with bacon and pancakes, but as one you have a perfect combo.
I will look further into your recipes and will likely start throwing these together before our next camping trip. The kids are going to love this one. Keep up the good work.
Ok….My mouth is watering, and I’m sitting here drinking an amazingly delicious coffee. Thanks for the recipe as I will be making this in the morning.
Also, I have been to that cafe but missed the pancakes last time. I will make sure to thank them next time I am passing through Joshua Tree.
We made these these on our trip to Glacier and loved them! The cooked bacon kept well in our cooler for five days and we savored every bite – we’ll definitely be making these again!
@Lindsay, thanks for sharing! Glacier sounds like a perfect place to eat these. We’ve started using the shelf-stable precooked bacon crumbles for this, and they’ll last a long time as well.