raspberry-swirl

We Are Oven Lovin’ for National Baking Month!

January is National Baking Month and we can think of no better way to warm your kitchen (and heart!) than by baking something special to share with loved ones!  For chilly mornings at home, we love to set the oven to 350 degrees and create delicious baked breakfast treats.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound bakery white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (16  cups)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • One 28-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes—drained, chopped and patted dry
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons snipped chives
  • 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt
  • 8 large eggs
  • Hot sauce, for serving

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil and spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until the bread is golden and lightly crisp.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet.
  3. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook until any liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.
  4. Return the toasted bread cubes to the bowl. Add the contents of the skillet, along with the bacon, shredded cheeses, chives and broth. Stir until the bread is evenly moistened. Season with salt. Spread the mixture in the baking dish and cover with lightly oiled foil.
  5. Bake the bread mixture in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is crispy, about 15 minutes longer. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and, using a ladle, press 8 indentations into the bread mixture. Crack an egg into each indentation. Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Serve the breakfast bake right away with hot sauce.

 

Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • One 10-ounce package frozen raspberries, not thawed
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk over moderately low heat until it reaches 95°. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the softened butter, eggs, grated lemon zest and sea salt. Add the flour and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes longer.
  2. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands 2 or 3 times. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the short sides. Butter the paper and sides of the pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by-24-inch rectangle.
  4. In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch. Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 24-inch-long log. Working quickly, cut the log into quarters. Cut each quarter into 4 slices and arrange them in the baking pan, cut sides up. Scrape any berries and juice from the work surface into the baking pan between the rolls. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy and have filled the baking pan, about 2 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425°. Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the butter and heavy cream until the glaze is thick and spreadable.
  7. Invert the rolls onto the rack and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the rolls onto a platter. Dollop glaze over each roll and spread with an offset spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

And for those days when you want to go out to breakfast in Denver, allow your friends at The Original Pancake House to bake you one of our favorite breakfast treats.   Our oven-baked omelets are always a crowd-pleaser. With your choice of filling and a side of our buttermilk pancakes, we promise you’ll head home happy!


gluten free pancakes

Make it at home: Bacon Pancakes!

Bacon and pancakes are two of the most popular items people order when they go out to breakfast in Denver. gluten-free-maple-bacon-pancakes-1What could be more delectable than a stack of warm pancakes and a side of bacon?  The answer: Bacon Pancakes!  We receive many requests for our Bacon Pancake recipe at The Original Pancake House.  Read on to learn how to make this decadent breakfast treat at home.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 slices bacon
  • Pure maple syrup, (optional)

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. Whisk flour mixture into buttermilk mixture just until moistened, with small to medium lumps remaining.
  2. In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet or on a griddle, cook bacon over medium-high until fat is rendered and bacon is browned on one side, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until golden and crisp on underside, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels; pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use). Finely chop bacon into small bits and mix into existing batter.
  3. Heat skillet over medium. Pour 1/4-cupfuls batter into skillet. Cook until some bubbles appear on top of pancakes and a few have burst, about 2 minutes. With a spatula, carefully flip pancakes and cook until browned on underside, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and loosely tent with foil. Keep pancakes warm in oven and repeat with remaining batter, adding more bacon fat if needed. Serve with pure maple syrup if desired.

From our kitchen to yours, bon appetit!


Bunny Pancakes

Hippity Hoppity, Easter Is On Its Way!

One of our favorite Easter traditions is to take our family out to a nice breakfast in Denver to celebrate the holiday.  But, on the years that we stay home, we love to make a bunny pancake breakfast for our family and neighbors.  Bunny pancakes, plus all the rest of the traditional Easter breakfast fixings, are an easy way to add a little hippity-hop to your breakfast or brunch spread.  Here are a few ideas to bring the Easter Bunny to your breakfast table.

Bunny-Pancakes

  1. Begin with your favorite pancake recipe and create batter.
  2. Determine if you have had enough coffee to have a steady hand when spooning out the batter. Bunny pancakes can be made either by dolloping the batter into a bunny face (circle) and ears (two ovals attached to the face), or by simply creating the bunny face and then adding ears using pieces of fruit once the pancake has cooked.
  3. When creating the bunny face, place two blueberries or chocolate chips in the liquid batter as soon as you have spooned it onto your frying pan. You can also add a nose and whiskers using various fruits and chopped fruit shapes.  Get creative!  If you are adding batter bunny ears, let the face (circle) set for a minute or two on the pan before you attempt to add each ear.  Gently spoon batter into an elongated ear shape on each side and connect to the bunny face.  Be careful when flipping!
  4. If batter ears sound too challenging, try using cantaloupe, pineapple, or bananas for the ears. Arrange your bunny pancake face on the center of the plate and add the fruit to create ears.  Try using strips of bacon or sausage to create whiskers.
  5. Serve and enjoy!

If you are too exhausted after your Easter egg hunt to make your own bunny pancakes, join us at Original Pancake House for a scrumptious brunch.  With almost thirty egg dishes, plus pancakes, waffles, and crepes, we have plenty of choices for a delicious, traditional Easter brunch.  Happy Easter Denver!


beg

A New Spin on Breakfast

The New Year is under way and we can’t think of a better time to try some new recipes and spice up your traditional breakfast repertoire.  With an eye for adventure, we’ve collected a few ideas to liven up your Denver breakfast table.  Strap on your apron, roll up your sleeves, and get ready for breakfast fun!

 

Bacon Breakfast Cupcakes:

With a drizzle of spicy Sriracha Sauce, these cupcakes will add zing to your morning! beg

 

Ingredients:

1 bag (20 oz.) refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

¾ cup crumbled crisply cooked bacon

¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (3 oz)

Sriracha sauce

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place foil liner in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. Generously spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix potatoes, oil, salt and pepper. Divide evenly among cups; press lightly. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk. Stir in bacon and cheese. Firmly press potatoes in muffin cups with bottom of 1/4-cup dry measuring cup. Top each with slightly less than ¼ cup egg mixture. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until knife inserted in center of egg comes out clean. Cool five minutes. Serve with sauce.

 

French Toast Kabobs

: Everything tastes better on a stick! These kabobs are fun, bite-sized, and perfect for dipping.  Kids love them!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups brioche, French or sandwich bread (cut into 2 inch cubes)

1 tablespoon butter or oil

16 strawberries, stems removed

2 bananas, sliced into ½ inch coins

8 wooden skewers

 

Directions:

Whisk together the milk, eggs, honey and cinnamon. Dip the bread cubes in the milk mixture to coat each side. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the bread for 1 ½ minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Skewer the French toast cubes, strawberries and bananas and serve with maple syrup for dipping.

 

Waffle BLT

: For this recipe you can either make your own waffles, or save time and use frozen waffles!

 

Ingredients:

8 frozen waffles

8-12 slices bacon

2 medium tomatoes

4-6 lettuce leaves

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup fresh dill, chopped fine

 

Directions:

Prepare herb spread by combining mayo and dill. Cover and refrigerate. Meanwhile, prepare bacon in a frying pan or 400-degree oven to desired crispness. When bacon is finished, place cooked slices on paper towels and dab to absorb some of the grease. Next, either prepare your own waffles or toast freezer waffles. Prepare sandwiches by spreading 2 tablespoons of herb spread on each waffle. Top with bacon slices, tomato slices, and lettuce leaves. Top with another waffle. Serve immediately.

 

Make-Ahead Blueberry Lemon French Toast

: This sweet breakfast treat is a delicious new take on French toast.  And the best part, you can prepare it the night before.

 

Ingredients:

1 (12-count) package sweet dinner rolls, cubed

1 cup blueberries

1½ cup milk

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons maple syrup, or more, to taste

Zest of 1 lemon

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

 

For the crumb topping:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

 

Directions:

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place a layer of bread cubes evenly into the baking dish. Top with blueberries in an even layer, repeating 2 more times and ending with a layer of bread.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. After the dish has absorbed liquid for at least two hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crumb topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add cold butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the bread cubes. Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

We hope you try and enjoy some of these new ideas for morning treats.  Next time you visit us at Original Pancake House, be sure to let us know how these breakfast recipes turned out. To all our friends in Denver, we wish you a New Year filled with delicious breakfasts and adventure!

 


eggs

Top Breakfast Foods in America

eggsBreakfast is many things to many people. It’s a time to fuel your body for the active day ahead and a time to gather with friends or family. While there are many ingredients and dishes that are staples for breakfast in Denver, there are a few favorites that make their way into our homes every year. What are they you may ask? Below, check out our list of the top breakfast foods in America in honor of National Breakfast Month.

Cereal

A classic staple in any family pantry, cereal is a quick and easy way to pack in the needed fiber and whole grains needed for the day. Whether you lean on the healthier side or splurge for the Captain Crunch now and then, cereal has become a popular treat for kids and adults alike. In fact, 2.7 boxes of cereal are sold in the U.S. each year with 92% of American households purchasing it at least once a year (source: NPD Group). Celebrate our love for cereal this month by enjoying a bowl at home or come by and visit us for a bowl of our homemade granola, cream of wheat or dry cereal.

Eggs

This delectable delight has been a main stay in American homes since the domestication of chickens. Eggs possess an impressive macronutrient composition unmatched by its fellow breakfast ingredients that contributes to its powerhouse of nutrition including the ingredient we all need in the morning: Vitamin D. From scrambled to sunny-side up, eggs can take on practically any form and shape we desire. With such versatility and demand for eggs, at our two Denver restaurants alone we serve more than 25,900 little white bundles a week!

Bacon

You can’t talk about eggs without mentioning their trusty partner-in-tastiness: bacon. This savory, salty snack is as American as apple pie. From the irresistible smell, to the sizzle on the skillet, to the smoky flavor, bacon is one of the few breakfast foods that ignites and awakens all of our senses in the morning. According to AllTech, “Americans on average eat around 18 lbs. of bacon each year. That’s about 5,608,654,506 lbs. for the entire U.S., which is equal to 7.68 Empire State buildings.”  Today, we’re finding many creative uses for the classic strip – no longer just a side, try our bacon pancakes or bacon Belgian waffles – breakfast staples made even better with real bits of bacon baked right in!

Oatmeal

What many consider a healthier option to cereal, oatmeal is another quick and easy way to fuel up and keep you full throughout the day. What makes oatmeal fun to eat is the many ways to spice it up. From adding slices of banana and a dash of cinnamon to incorporating it into pancakes for oatmeal pancakes, oatmeal is no longer the “barbarian” food it was once called. We serve our old fashioned oatmeal with warm skim milk, brown sugars and raisin – yum!

So whether you prefer one of the above or all five, these top breakfast foods have made their way into our hearts and stomachs for years. Their future culinary possibilities look bright and their extinction nowhere in sight. At Original Pancake House in Denver, let us fuel you up for the day ahead and offer you one of the best Denver breakfasts in town. We’re open every day from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. so swing by and celebrate National Breakfast Month with us!


OPH Corned Beef Hash

Irish Breakfast Traditions

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we’d explore Irish breakfast traditions.  The morning after all the St. Patrick’s Day revelry, we figured the good folks in Ireland must sit down for a hearty meal. As it turns out, a full Irish breakfast is nothing short of a small feast!  Here are a few breakfast staples from the Emerald Isle:

Our Corned Beef Hash
Our Corned Beef Hash

Rashers – Rashers are the Irish version of bacon.  This pork treat more resembles Canadian bacon, although it is a fattier cut and is served as a round patty.  Where American bacon is traditionally cooked until crispy, rashers are typically fried in Irish butter until cooked through and lightly browned.

Bangers – Bangers are a traditional Irish breakfast sausage.  Either made with pork or a combination of pork and beef, bangers are typically short in length and fat in diameter.  The word “banger” refers to the sausage’s tendency to split and explode out of its casing when cooked.

Boxty – Considered a traditional Irish potato pancake, the boxty actually more resembles American hash browns.  Riced potatoes are compacted into a pancake shape within a hot skillet and fried to make this breakfast staple.

Black & White Pudding – Black pudding is essentially blood sausage, or cooked and congealed blood from pigs or cows mixed with pork, beef, or sometimes oatmeal, bread or potato.  White pudding is a similar soft sausage made without the blood.  Both varieties are usually sliced and then grilled or fried.

And more still! – All Irish breakfasts are served with fried eggs.  In addition, a full Irish breakfast will include Irish brown bread, baked beans, fried tomatoes, and sautéed mushrooms.  Whew!  With a meal this large, you are sure to have energy for a full day’s work or fun!  If you don’t want to fly all the way to Ireland for your next morning meal, we’d be happy to serve you an Irish inspired breakfast in Denver at the Original Pancake House with our very own Corned Beef Hash and Eggs.  From all of us at the Original Pancake House, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!


En route to perfect omelette

Fluffy Foamy Omelette Recipe

At The Original Pancake Denver, we take our breakfast recipes very seriously.  One of our favorite breakfast menu items is the omelette.  Light and fluffy, filled with a favorite topping, omelettes are always a crowd pleaser!  There are many methods to omelette making, and most home chefs have a favorite technique.

The Original Pancake House Omelette Recipe

Here are a few tips for creating the perfect fluffy, foamy omelette at home.

1. To start, make sure your eggs are whipped until they are light and even a bit frothy.  Some chefs recommend adding one tablespoon of

En route to perfect omelette

water to make sure the egg mixture is extra light.  For a solid meal, we usually use three eggs.

2. Choose the appropriate sized pan.  A 7-8” non-stick frying pan is perfect for a three-egg omelette.

3. Warm your pan over medium heat.  Add fat to the pan to ensure your omelette never sticks.  This step is very important; if you skimp on the fat you will create an omelette disaster!  Butter, oil, bacon fat or a combination of any of these three will work.  In general, you want to use at least a tablespoon to ensure your omelette does not stick.  Tilt your pan in all directions to make sure the fat evenly coats the pan.

4. Turn your pan down to low heat.  All omelette connoisseurs agree that the best omelettes are cooked low and slow!  No one enjoys brown or burned eggs.  Add your eggs to the pan and sprinkle your favorite toppings over the top.

5. This next step is one of great debate.  Once the eggs are in the pan, some chefs recommend lightly stirring the eggs and pulling them away from the sides to ensure evenly cooked eggs.  Others recommend you do not touch the eggs once they are in the pan; instead place a lid over top and let the omelette cook covered on very low heat for 5-8 minutes.  We recommend experimenting with both to see which works best for you.

6. Once the omelette has finished cooking, fold in half or in thirds and ENJOY!

 

Though we can’t share all of our omelette trade secrets, we encourage you to find and perfect your favorite technique.  This breakfast (or lunch!) dish is certainly an art and patience will garner great rewards!


Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!

bacon
Who doesn't love bacon? The smell, the sizzle, the crunch and the taste…bacon is so scrumptious it’ll rouse even the sleepiest from their beds. At The Original Pancake House in Denver, we LOVE bacon. People come from near and far just to get a plate full of thick-sliced goodness. In fact, our bacon is so popular we served 30 tons last year. Yes, you read that right, 60,000 pounds of our delicious bacon. Thank you Denver!

In honor of this pork treat, here are a few fun bacon facts:

1. A 250 lb. pig yields approximately 23 lbs. of bacon.
2. Bacon is an ancient treat! The Chinese began curing pork belly around 1500 B.C.
3. In 1924 Oscar Meyer created a patent for the first sliced and packaged bacon.
4. The average American consumes 17.9 lbs. of bacon each year.
5. Dry-curing bacon is the oldest curing method. The meat is rubbed with salt, spice and sugar, and then is hung in a cool place for two weeks.
6. In 1920, a Parisian butcher created the formula for Bacon Cologne.
7. In the U.S. we make bacon from pork belly; however, in Canada they use the loin and in Europe they use the pork shoulder.
8. National Bacon Day is the Saturday before Labor Day.
9. Bacon contains a micro-nutrient called choline. Expectant mothers should eat bacon as this nutrient boosts intelligence levels in unborn children.
10. Bacon is actually addictive! It contains umami which produces an addictive neurochemical response in the brain.

Hungry yet? Brain full of bacon facts? If you are looking for a big bacon breakfast in Denver, The Original Pancake House is here to serve you! We leave you with this quote from one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson: “I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage with my books, my family, and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splendid post.”

Sources: www.friendseat.com, www.bacontoday.com, www.yumbacon.webs.com, www.baconsocial.com