Mom-To-Be Freezer Meal - Pancakes

When I was in the early stages of making my Mom-To-Be Freezer Meal Plan, I have to admit, I completely forgot about breakfasts. It was all thanks (again) to Pinterest for reminding me that first thing in the morning with a new baby, the only thing I might actually want to make from scratch - is coffee.

 

As I've noted before, in my family, we never did freezer meals, so like with all the other recipes I chose, I didn't know what would work well for breakfasts. All I knew was that I didn't like the idea of frozen breakfast borritos. Reason one: I've turned off eggs for the most part since being pregnant. Reason two: I'm not a fan of omlettes - and to me, a breakfast borrito is just an omlette that's rolled up.

 

Thankfully! I LOVE pancakes! I wanted to make waffles as well, but unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to buying a waffle maker yet - and for something as awesome as waffles, I want to get a decent model. So, so far, for freezer meal breakfasts, I've just got pancakes. The freezing method I used for these, once they were cooled, was to wrap each individual pancake in aluminum foil and then toss them into a freezer bag. I've noticed that many people like to put their freezer pancakes in an old bread bag, but without thinking, I recycled mine prior to making the pancakes. To prepare, I take as many I want out of the packaging, put them in the microwave on a plate in a single layer, turning occassionally until they are fully thawed, hot and ready for toppings.

 
I have two recipes that I've made so far, one Martha Stewart recipes that I've liked for ages that you can make with an orange maple butter (the orange maple butter is pretty good from what I remember, but it wasn't earth shattering enough that I have to make it everytime I make pancakes).
The second recipe, which I just found recently, is made with ricotta cheese. I actually looked for a recipe that contains ricotta cheese because for my baked penne with sausage and creamy ricotta (entry to be added) - I actually forgot to add the ricotta to a few of the single serve meals, so I had extra. I still haven't tried this recipe fresh or frozen yet, since ricotta isn't a pasturized cheese and I'm restricted from it for now. I'm also not sure how these pancakes will freeze, but, I decided that I was willing to test it out.

 

ALL that being said, here are my pancake recipes for you.

 
 Martha Stewarts Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp coarse salt (I usually leave out salt recommended in recipes)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups low fat buttermilk

1/4 cup whole milk

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for griddle

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups blueberries

 

*Note: If I don't have buttermilk, I have used just the cream in the amount needed for both the buttermilk as well as the cream (or vise versa if I don't have the cream)

Directions:
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, salt (if using) and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, milk, butter and egg. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
 
Heat a griddle or a large nonstick skillet over med heat. Toss blueberries with 2 tbsp sugar. Brush griddle with melted butter and spoon batter into griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Sprinkle with sugared blueberries, about 2 tbsp per pancake. Cook until edges are set, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and blueberries, adding more butter to griddle and keeping prepared pancakes warm on a baking shee in the oven. Serve with orange maple butter and maple syrup. http://www.marthastewart.com/350631/orange-maple-butter

 

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes 
 

Ingredients:

15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)

1 cup blueberries

cooking spray

confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, for serving (optional)

 

Directions:
In a medium bowl. whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, grated lemon zest and vanilla extract. Fold in flour until just combined; add blueberries, gently mixing until combined. Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-low heat. Add batter, using a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve hot, with confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, if desired.