Picky Eaters: Pancakes for Dinner!
Serve up a short-stack for supper!
Submitted by
Wade Wojcak
Wade Wojcak
Kid on a veggie strike? Out of new ways to disguise chicken? Try serving your picky eaters pancakes for dinner! Believe it or not, they're more nutritious than deep-fried chicken fingers--especially if you use whole-wheat flour and go easy on the syrup (as if that's going to happen!).
- Pancake mix or your favorite pancake recipe:See ours below.
- A pan or griddle:
- Mixing bowl:
- Ladle:
- Butter or non-stick cooking spray:
- Large cookie cutters:Your kid will love eating a pancake that looks like a dinosaur! Use big cookie cutters or invest in Shape-Its Food Forms to create dozens of cool shapes—trucks, animals, trees ...
- Food Coloring:Pink is the new brown.
- Toppings:Maple syrup, powdered sugar, raisins, chocolate chips, sliced bananas, blueberries, apples, strawberries, sprinkles, whipped cream—the works!
- A roll of paper towels:Or two. Confine those sticky hands to the kitchen.
- Paper plates, bowls, paper cups and plastic forks:To make Pancake Night a hit with everyone, including you, pick up some disposable dinnerware. Why wash the dishes when you can throw them out? (You'll have enough trouble trying to pry squashed bananas and raisins off the maple-syrup-coated kitchen floor. We said it'd be fun, not mess-free!)
Grab some pancake mix or tap into your inner Martha Stewart and mix your own from scratch (because you have sooo much free time to bake, right?).
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. This is a great job for junior.
Grease pan or griddle with butter or cooking spray and heat it up to medium/high. This is not a great job for junior.
Add 2 to 3 drops of food coloring per cup of pancake batter to make colorful, cool pancakes.
Using a ladle, pour the batter in the pan.
To jazz the pancakes up, make them in your kid's favorite shape. (See DO Need for details.) If this is too overwhelming, just make 'em round. We won't tell your kids that Timmy's mom makes his in the shape of a monster truck.
While the pancakes are cooking, have your kid pour the toppings into paper bowls and place them in the center of the table. Give each family member a paper cup filled with maple syrup so they can pour their own (though you get to control the amount you give 'em in the first place, so they won't drown in sugar). Or, let the kids sprinkle powdered sugar on the 'cakes: They'll think it's a treat; you'll know it's less mess and less sugar!
When the pancakes start to bubble, flip them. Total cooking time is about 5 minutes.
Let everyone decorate their pancakes with the toppings. Use the blueberries for eyes, the bananas for wheels, and the chocolate chips for the rotten teeth your picky eaters would have if Pancake Night were every night.
Try not to stress about the mess. Expect a sticky floor covered in berries. Get the kids to help you clean up—have a race to see who can throw out more cups, plates, bowls, etc. The fastest cleaner-upper wins! If all else fails, grab the hose.
- Pancake-Night Pancake Recipe (makes six to eight pancakes):
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp sugar or maple syrup
Directions:
1. Stir ingredients together
2. Pour batter into pan. Yes it's really that easy!
For more great pancake recipes, try these:
Multigrain Pancakes with Flax
Buttermilk Banana Pancakes
Cornmeal Pancakes with Cranberry Butter
Apple Chai Pancakes
Ginger Cakes
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