Cornbread Pancakes - Two Ways

I love shopping. I think it's a genetic trait that I inherited from my mom. Or if she didn't give me the shopping genes, at least it was her who taught me to love it from all the practice I had when I was growing up. It was my mom who told me some of the cardinal "rules" of shopping, like double checking to see if something is dry clean only before you fall in love with it (something I didn't appreciate until I was paying my own dry cleaning bill), if you "save" more on a clothing item than it costs it's really like you haven't spent any money at all, or the phrase "doubt means no". (Actually, it might have been my sister who taught me that.)

Another great rule I learned from her was to try to figure out what else in my wardrobe would match a particular piece to make an outfit. You have no idea how expensive a $10 skirt can be if you have to buy a top, shoes and necklace to go with it. (Not that this has ever happened to me; I always listen to my mom.) If you are really lucky, you find something that seems to coordinate with just about everything in your closet - something you can dress up or down or wear on its own.

That's what this recipe reminds me of. I love cornbread, and I thought making pancakes out of it would give me more of an excuse to eat cornbread hot and slather on some extra butter and honey. I was right about that, but I was surprised at how many other things they "matched".

The first combination I tried was a blueberry topping. Blueberries and cornmeal seem like a natural match to me. Not only do I love the color combination of blue and yellow, but they both have a natural sweetness that tastes good together. Blueberries are good on the own on top of the cornbread pancakes, and amazing with some blueberry/lime syrup from this post.

The next "match" was nearly a given, considering that our household eats Mexican food several times a week. (Certain members of the household would probably prefer that it was every day instead.) I toasted the leftover pancakes in the toaster oven, topped them with refried beans, shredded chicken taco meat from here, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and avocado for a kind of tostada that was delicious. The pancakes have a sweetness that I really liked with the spicy and savory toppings. Plus, it was a great way to use up those extra few pancakes that are always leftover after breakfast. 

Which is my favorite way to eat them? I'm not sure. Since one is breakfast and one is lunch/dinner, do I really have to choose?

Cornbread Pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
2T vegetable oil

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg, then whisk in the milk and vegetable oil. Add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

4. Drop a heaping 1/4 cup onto the skillet and cook until the edges are set and the bottom is golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Makes about 6 medium pancakes

Recipe Source: adapted heavily from Quaker

Posted in: Breakfast, Main Dish