Breakfast With a Pop: Jalapeño-Bacon Pancakes

Sometimes cereals, French toast and syrupy pancakes feel like a sugar overload. On days like that the mouth wants to be woken up with something bolder and brighter, like Jalapeno-Bacon Pancakes.

These pancakes are simple to rustle up even during the week for breakfast. You can use boxed pancake mix (nobody is here to judge you), some bacon bits (fresh or from a packet) and a fired up pan. It is that quick and simple. If it’s Sunday, chop up some scallions and serve with sour cream and shredded cheese for that souped up effect.

Just a couple of quick tips:

1. Browning butter – Adding browned butter lends a nutty flavor. Really, it takes all of 3 minutes of babysitting (avoid the burn baby burn) and your home will smell of baked cookies. Allow the butter to cool for a minute before adding or it will start to cook the batter.

2. Let it rest – Even if only for a couple of minutes. When the batter hits the pan, you’ll be glad that you waited.

3. Hands off! – Yes, it might be common practice for passers by to have a nibble of bacon. Be firm and remind them that good things come to those who wait.

Recipe For Jalapeno-Bacon Pancake

Ingredients

Pancake Mix (make 4-6 serving according to instructions, but don’t add the fat)

3 rashers of bacon, cooked (reserve fat) and broken into bits

1 tbsp. bacon fat

1 Jalapeño, deseeded

2 tbsp. sharp cheddar cheese or Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Make pancake mixture as per instructions. Substitute oil/ butter for the bacon fat.

2. Add the Jalapeños, bacon bits, cheese, salt and pepper. Allow mixture to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Heat up a frying pan and cook pancakes until golden on both sides.

Looking for more breakfast ideas? Try these:

French toast casserole

Dark chocolate chip bacon pancakes

Breakfast chorizo and eggs

Pecan cinnamon and nutmeg pancakes

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes.