Elementary Chef

One of my favorite breakfast foods is pancakes. We don’t have them that often but when we do they are so good. Usually we go out to eat pancakes, but I’ve had made them at home.

The easiest way to make them at home is to buy a pancake mix. They are less than $1 and all you have to do is add water. Mix is together but don’t mix it too much because your pancakes will be dry.

I use my cast iron skillet to cook the pancakes. I spray it with a non-stick cooking spray and heat up the pan. Then I place about 1/4 cup of mix in the skillet.

I then turn the pancake usually about 1-2 minutes time. When you see a lot of bubbles coming up, that means it is cooked on the other side.

Pancakes don’t take that long to cook. Since I like a stack of pancakes, I put the cooked pancakes on a plate and set it on top of the stove. I add the butter to let it melt while I continue to make the other pancakes.

This is where my griddle came in really handy since I could make six pancakes at one time. The griddle also cooked them more evenly than the stove top. The griddle just took too much room in my cabinet to justify keeping it since I only used it about once a month.

Pancakes are an easy breakfast to make and are quite filling. They are so easy especially from pre-made mixes that only need water. Add some chocolate chips, pecans, and other pancake favorites to make your pancakes a real breakfast treat.

First of all, let me warn you that this recipe will feed a crowd. If you make it for your standard little family of four, you WILL have leftovers. That said, it’s great for a potluck or work Christmas breakfast. Very filling and very yummy. (And easy!)

Baked Oatmeal Casserole
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 small chopped apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in chopped apples. Spread into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Serve hot!