Pancake Project #2

Pancake Project #2

When life gives you pancakes…make macaroni and cheese!

I might be one of the only pathetic people I know who didn’t grow up addicted to macaroni and cheese. Something about the fact that this cheese looked like pixie dust and not like the cheese on my beloved grilled cheese sandwiches made me quite skeptical of its ingredients, even as an eight year old. My sister, on the other hand, found mac and cheese to be that magical bowl of happiness that most kids thought it to be. I wholeheartedly wanted to love it—as all of my friends did—but for some reason, every time I would take a taste from the melted, fresh hot pot of perfectly cooked macaroni and cheese, I would be left feeling utterly disappointed.

Nonetheless, I didn’t give up hope. The phenomenon of taste changing over time kept my expectations high that one day the golden bowl of cheesy noodles would be appealing to me. When I was a little girl, I hated peas; now, I find them to be delightful little vegetables. When I was younger, I salivated at a shiny strip of perfectly seared bacon. Today, that same bacon makes my stomach churn. Alas, I am still waiting for that majestic day when I will take a spoonful of macaroni and cheese and feel that coziness you get when you take a scrumptious bite of something you love…Still waiting…

I have one significant memory worth sharing that I will forever associate with a glistening scoop of mac and cheese. My friend Katie and I started getting to know each other my senior year of high school. Katie made one of her talents abundantly clear to me from an early moment in our new companionship: “I am the best boxed macaroni and cheese maker in the whole world,” she told me with complete confidence. I would be lying if I said I didn’t take that comment as somewhat of a jest, before I quickly realized she was one thousand percent serious. I’ve never met anyone prouder of their mac-and-cheese-making skills—correction—boxed mac-and-cheese-making skills.

So, as a tribute to Katie and in an honest effort to create macaroni and cheese in a way that makes my taste buds sing with delight, I decided to try something outrageous, daring, and potentially disgusting: macaroni and cheese pancakes.

My plan: Make a noodle-y, cheesy pancake, topped with more cheese. Pay tribute to the boxed macaroni and cheese by using the boxed recipe, and thus saving myself time, money, and a whole lot of energy!

My method:

I made the pancake batter: Again, if you don’t have the time to make your own, it’s no problem using a store-bought mix with this recipe (organic is best)! Also, I, again, used the whole wheat batter and milk in place of water in the mix for that special fluffiness.

Then I made the boxed macaroni and cheese (Annie’s brand). This recipe couldn’t be easier! Also, I kept about a spoonful of the cheese sauce in a separate bowl to be used later…

Next, I spooned some of the supposedly delicious macaroni and cheese into the pancake batter. Yes—noodles and all! I bet you’ve never had noodles in your pancakes before.

I cooked the one-of-a-kind pancake and topped it with some of that extra cheese I had set aside. Talk about a twist on the traditional maple syrup drizzle!

My Verdict: Let’s just say that tonight I ate the most macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had in my life. I’m starting to wonder if I’m onto something…Maybe I like food better IN pancakes!















What I would do differently: First, to make the picture more dazzlingly appetizing, I would have added scallions on top of the cheese. I could have easily done that with this recipe; however, with 21 credits of school work, making a trip to the grocery store is not a priority. Also, I think making a decadent béchamel sauce for the top of the pancake would have really stepped it up a notch (or ten). But, again, time is my enemy. So I went with the powdery stuff.

The coming attractions? No foretaste on the upcoming pancake this time. Why? Because I have no idea what I am going to do next…

~Happy Pancake Eating~