Bacon Pancakes

I have several things to say about this particular recipe. First of all, while it may look from that picture up there that I have simply artfully arranged a piece of bacon on the top of those pancakes, if you look very closely you will see that the bacon has actually been cooked INTO the pancake itself. Yes, while those pancakes were on the griddle I dropped some bacon on top of the batter and let that bacon cook into the center of the pancake. Wrap your mind around that for a minute. Take deep breaths.

The other thing I want to point out is the placemat. I got these a couple of years ago at Williams Sonoma...they are hard placemats with Twelve Days Of Christmas artwork on them, and they make me so, so happy. They have a whole line of Twelve Days stuff now, and last week when I was in the store I had to restrain myself from buying matching napkins. Actually the Southern husband had to restrain me - he literally took them out of my hands and put them back on the shelf. Probably because he was remembering that we already have napkins that each have the name of one of Santa's reindeer on them. (I always save Vixen for myself. Which explains a lot about me that you probably didn't want to know.)

But I digress. The pancakes are as simple as I described them above - you mix up a batch of your favorite pancake batter (I am a faithful Bisquick girl myself), and after you ladle your batter onto the skillet, drop on a piece of cooked bacon. Flip your pancake as usual, and when they are gorgeously brown you will see that the bacon has cooked into the batter.

Now pour on some maple syrup, and ask yourself where this bacon-infused pancake has been all your life.

Bacon Pancakes, adapted from Everyday Food

• 1 batch of pancake batter - your choice.  I like the Bisquick recipe, which is happily right there on the back of the box
• Butter for griddle
• 8-12 slices of bacon, depending on how much pancake batter you are making.
• Warm maple syrup

1. Preheat of to 400.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay bacon strips on the foil.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bacon is cooked but not too crispy.

2.  Heat griddle or large frying pan over medium heat and melt a tablespoon or so of butter on the griddle.  Pour scant 1/4 cups of pancake batter on the griddle.  Carefully lay a slice of cooked bacon on top of each pancake.  Cook until bubbles appear on the top of the pancake and the underside is golden.  Carefully flip and cook for another minute or two until second side is golden.

3. Serve at once with warm maple syrup.

Click here for printable recipe