Breakfast for Dinner: Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Candied Bacon + Eggs.
Really, there are not many words for this dinner.
Other than completely awesome, easy (like embarrassingly easy) and simple.
I know that nothing about this recipe is a new concept or anything, but sometimes I feel like we all just need a little reminder about the beauty of simplicity. And in today’s case, I mean a little reminder about breakfast for dinner…which may just be the best kind of dinner. Anytime you can eat pancakes with butter and maple syrup you know that things are going to be good.
I have no idea what brought on this whole breakfast for dinner thing, but when I thought about it as I was hiking, I knew I had to make pancakes for dinner. Not breakfast, not lunch, but dinner.
The classic breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, bacon and eggs. Come on, it sounds so good, right?
I love the idea of breakfast for dinner, but I never get the chance to actually make breakfast for dinner because whenever I make breakfast, it normally all gets eaten by lunch.
But this time, I actually made breakfast at dinnertime and not one person complained, not one. They loved it – I loved it – it was just an all around cherished meal. Especially by my mom. I think this may just be her favorite dinner. Err, well, maybe crepes would be her favorite, yeah she might have liked crepes a little better, but this was so easy and I had everything on hand. Winner, winner, breakfast-dinner.
Alrighty, so I since I actually made these at night, I didn’t take pictures because I only shoot with natural light. This means, I made more the very next day. It really wasn’t a problem though, because I was happy for another round of pancakes. They never get old, plus I still have plenty of mouths around to push them into.
I knew I wanted to tell you guys about this breakfast/dinner the second I smelled the first hot pancake coming off the griddle (it’s the combo of buttermilk, ricotta and a lot of vanilla).
When I made these the first time, I actually made about sixty pancakes. Yeah, sixty. I spent probably forty-five minutes in front of the stove flipping pancakes at nine o’clock at night. That got a little old, but I had to feed ten people breakfast and eight of those ten people where hungry boys that had been outside snowboarding all day. So yeah, I knew I would need a lot of pancakes, practically a month’s worth of bacon and a decent amount of eggs (the boys did not get the spinach, sun-dried tomato and goat cheese eggs – obviously). We only had one pancake leftover and zero bacon (of course).
I do have to say, that I am never making that many pancakes again. I will be saving “breakfast for dinner” for smaller groups of six or less. That was just too much flipping for one night. Still, I think it was worth it because this was the best dinner. I do not think I can say that enough – best, best, best.
Oh, and since we enjoyed these with the Christmas tree all lit up nearby, I thought I’d throw a little festiviness into the photos. Made sense in my mind.
Here’s the deal, I may never make pancakes without whipped egg whites and ricotta again. I actually said this once last winter, but somehow I forget. I will make sure that does not happen again. These are the lightest, fluffiest pancakes around and the simple flavors just allow everything to shine in their own way. All they need is butter and real deal maple syrup (no sugary stuff!!). Simple as that. Trust me, you will be able to eat a stack of ten without even thinking twice.
As for the candied bacon, this was actually my first time making it. I sort of did my own thing by adding in some maple, but wow, that stuff is good. I am not even a bacon fanatic, like at all, but I could see snacking on that stuff all December long. For some reason it just feels like a December food to me. Actually, the whole breakfast for dinner concept feels like a December thing. Maybe it’s the busy days that call for cozy nights or the fact that December should just be extra sweet in general, but whatever the reason I think this is the meal for December. Yup, declaring it now.
The eggs I honestly added just for balance, but they actually ended up being delicious. I blame this on the sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Those two ingredients, especially together will always be delicious. Plus, the eggs give us the protein and the spinach + sun-dried tomatoes give us our veggies and fruit.
See there, that is a very balanced meal.
Now who is with me? Breakfast for dinner tonight??
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Breakfast for Dinner: Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Candied Bacon + Eggs.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttermilk, pancakes, ricotta
An awesome and simple dinner!
Ingredients
Maple Candied Bacon
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon use peppered bacon if possible
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 salt + pepper
Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes
- 2 eggs whites separated from the yolks
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- butter for serving
- pure maple syrup for serving
Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 6 eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Maple Candied Bacon
-
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack.
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In a large, shallow bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Add the bacon to the bowl and toss gently with your hands. Make sure that all of the slices are evenly coated in brown sugar. Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack.
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Bake in the center of the oven for about 20-25 minutes. The bacon may look done, but I placed mine back in for about 10 minutes. It looks pretty dark, but I promise it's not burnt!
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Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack. Don't let them sit too long or else they will stick.
Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes
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While the bacon is cooking, be working on the pancakes. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, buttermilk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate, larger mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, brown sugar, and salt to the ricotta and buttermilk milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
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Stir a small scoop of the egg whites into the pancake batter to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites with a spatula.
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Heat a skillet on medium heat. Grease with butter or cooking spray. Pour 1/3 cup pancake batter on the center of the hot pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Using a spatula, gently flip the pancake over and cook the other side for a minute, or until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter.
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Keep the pancakes warm in a 250 degrees oven while you make the eggs.
Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Scrambled Eggs
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In a bowl, using a fork, beat together the eggs, salt and pepper until blended.
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In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter foams, reduce the heat to low. Add the beaten eggs and cook, stirring several times, until curds just begin to form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, stir once or twice, and continue to cook just until the curds are soft, 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in the goat cheese. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
To serve
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Spoon the eggs into small bowls. Divide the warm pancakes among plates. Drizzle with maple syrup and add a pat of softened butter. Top with candied bacon. DIG IN.
Umm, for sure. How can you resist Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Candied Bacon and eggs for dinner? You just can’t.
If you make these Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes with Maple Candied Bacon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
PERFECT! Also, I MAY get fired for being on your website all day.
Haha! 🙂
BRINNER! Only the most amazing meal of the day. These sound divine!
Thanks Jess!
I actually like pancakes for dinner.
Bacon , eggs , and pancakes sounds really good but I guess I will have to eat the oatmeal I made.
Thanks Nancy and oatmeal is good too! 🙂
We are having breakfast for dinner tonight and really need to make these whipped ricotta pancakes! Making my mouth water right meow!
Thanks Meg!! Enjoy your breakfast for dinner tonight!
I love breakfast for dinner and that candied bacon looks so good sweet and salty plus crispy you can’t lose with that. This meal is definitely on my to do list.
Thanks so much, Lisa! Hope you love this!
Just give me pancakes anytime. I don’t need anything else. LOVE them!!
Haha! Same here! 🙂
Thanks Charlotte!
I love it! Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorite but I haven’t done it in like forever so thanks for the reminder! Personally, I’ve never understood the separations of types of food for certain times of day.
Thanks Tori! 🙂
BRINNER is my favorite. And I have a MAOR obsession wit pnacakes….especially with ricotta in them, sooo creamy!
I also have made maple candied bacon before. HOLY FREAKING YUM. Love this! Pinned!
Thanks Taylor! 🙂
We are big fans of breakfast for dinner too! So cozy and awesome. We’re putting our Christmas tree up this weekend and I’m starting to think that maybe pancakes while sitting under the tree might be just perfect?
h this is the perfect dinner for sitting under the tree!! Sounds so nice! 🙂
Girl that bacon is EVERYTHING!!
THANK YOU!
I only shoot with natural light too and deal with this problem often. “It tastes so good… can’t resist. MUST EAT!” and then I have to make it again. Oh well!
So glad I am not alone in this! 🙂
Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite things! And I know you said these are basic, but I don’t think my “normal” pancakes, bacon, and eggs have ever look THIS good! I am just dying over those buttermilk pancakes!
THANK YOU! 🙂
Damn this pancake recipe sounds crazy good! MUUUUST try!
Thanks Sophia!
I love, love, love breakfast for dinner! We always make my grandma’s recipe for scrambled eggs, with bacon in it, natch! Your candied bacon looks taaaasty.
That’s the best combo and grandmas recipe are aways these best! 🙂
Thanks Heidi!
First, breakfast for dinner is always good…you, my friend have practically made a breakfast buffet! And I feel you on the big pancake batch…I remember one Thanksgiving, my large family came to stay with me and I was flipping pancakes for what felt like days!
Flipping pancakes for four is six is easy, but tack on anymore and it’s just tiring! LOL!
Thanks Ramona! 🙂
Nothing better than brinner and I can’t stop staring at these pictures!!
Agreed! Thanks Matt!
I’m always up for breakfast for dinner meals! Maple candied bacon sounds delicious!
Thank you!
I might be a sicko here, but I LOVE that you used christmas lights in your styling!! so cute and creative 🙂
THANK YOU! I was worried lights might be overkill, but I kind of love them too! 🙂
Morning! I am not a real fan of North American Pancakes. They are too dry and cake for me.
However these have me intrigued. With the egg whites beaten, does it make the pancakes less dry and cake?
The pancakes would be great with just the egg on top.
Hey Charlie!!
I have to say that these are some of the moistest pancakes. The combo of buttermilk, ricotta and eggw hites really helps to keep them from being dry. I think you might love them!
Yum! I’m sucker for breakfast for dinner because clearly…I love brunch! And these pancakes will make my dream sweeter and sweeter.
Thanks Linda!
I can eat breakfast all day long. This is a most special breakfast in everyway. All three items are tasty just by themselves.
Thanks Carol!
We love breakfast for dinner around here! I’ll be making these very soon Tieghan!
Thanks so much, Kathy! Hope you are enjoying your week! 🙂
I love love love breakfast for dinner and this looks amazing. You had me at ricotta, which is like my all time most favoritist food. Dumb question: can I make waffles with this recipe instead of pancakes?
Hey Rebecca!! I think waffles would be awesome, sound delish!
Let me know how it goes and enjoy!
Wow, total waffle success! Best waffle I’ve ever made, hands down. And the goat cheese and spinach in the eggs! So good! This was the perfect brinner! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes! Keep them coming!
That is awesome! SO happy these work as waffles and that they are a hit! 🙂
Thanks Rebecca and have a great weekend!
This is SO my kind of dinner. Yes, yes, yes.
🙂
Thanks Laura!
Great grandma would be proud
Really?? Did she do this a lot? That is awesome and thanks for the comment aunt Diane! Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving!
YES! Breakfast for dinner is the best! Love how fluffy these pancakes are!
Thanks Lisa!
Breakfast for dinner is ALWAYS a good idea, and sometimes simplicity is best!
Thanks Nicole!
Excellent, however, I make ricotta pancakes all the time, I use bisquick and add the ricotta cheese, simple and delish…
Buttermilk pancake are the best, why have I never added ricotta?! These look perfectly fluffy!
Thanks so much!
Breakfast for dinner is my idea of heaven! I totally agree on the whipped egg whites thing, but I’ve only ever added ricotta to pancakes once (once!? why!?) These pancakes – and everything with them – look delicious!
Thanks so much! 🙂 Happy almost Friday!
Is it baking soda or baking powder? you’ve got one in the ingredient list and one in the directions? 🙂
It is baking soda. So sorry about that!
Whipping the egg whites for pancakes is the ONLY way to go. I learned that from my mom, and it’s the only way I do my pancakes. We have them at least once a week, although if I had to be flipping pancakes as long as you were, I’m not sure that would be the case anymore!! Love this whole breakfast for dinner spread!
You ate one smart girl and your mom taught you so well! 🙂 Ha!
Thanks so much, Deborah!
My entire family raved about the pancakes and bacon!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you all loved this Sandi! Thank you! xTieghan
Great recipe!!!!
Thanks so much Bettina! xTieghan
My wife and I tried these but were a bit disappointed. They looked great, and had a very good flavor. However, the texture was not like a Pancake. The cakes were very soft. My best description is it had a texture of cheesecake in my mouth. It mostly dissolves with nothing to chew on. I do love cheesecake, but not as a pancake, if that makes any sense. That said, we’ll try doctoring the recipe. Maybe a little more flour and less cheese next time? We’ll see what we come up with.
Hey Macro,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry you did not enjoy the texture. Was there anything you adjusted? What was your cooking method? Let me know if I can help! xTieghan