If you’re loyal to the traditional mac ‘n’ cheese recipes and the idea of mac ‘n’ cheese and pancakes together makes you frown rather than smile, this post may not be for you.    

But before I go further, you probably remember I had my blog-crash early this year and consequently  unable to retrieve some of the posts? My mac ‘n’ cheese pancakes post  is one of the lost posts so I hope you wouldn’t mind me blogging about this recipe again.      

Plus, I need an excuse to make the cheese crusted pancakes and you know what, my blog-crash could be it     

In my original post, I have stayed faithful to the original recipe. But like any recipes that you’ve tried for the nth time, it is inevitable that you started to stray. So this pancake recipe is no exception.    

My minor tweak is to add some mixed vegetables.  OHHHH NOOOOOO, what you’ve done Emily! To some of you, I may have just ruin your ideal mac ‘n’ cheese pancakes. But to me, the vegetable factor has actually made the pancakes less starchy? (Uhm…help needed for a better choice of word here!).    

I won’t go as far as saying that dotting some peas, carrots and sweet corn kernels will miraculously placed these pancakes in the healthy category but somehow I think the sweetness from the veggies has managed to “lighten” the carbohydrates-rich pancakes. Plus, every bit of fibre counts, right ladies?    

Anyway, I hope the post will be up and in time for your Sunday brunch. Enjoy! :D    

Mac ‘n’ Cheese Pancakes

(tweaked slightly from “Eat Me” by Kenny Shopsin and Carolynn Carreno)    

Makes about 14 3-inch round pancakes    

Ingredients:

Neutral flavoured cooking oil (i.e. canola, vegetable, peanut or sunflower oil) to grease the pan    

3 cups plain/vanilla flavoured pancake batter    

1 cup cooked elbow macaroni (or any small pasta), tossed with olive oil and warmed    

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar    

A handful of frozen mixed vegetables, blanched in boiling hot water & drained    

Method:

1. Set the pan over moderate heat. Pour a thin layer of oil over the pan.    

2. When the pan is hot (not smoking hot), adjust the heat to low. Drop the batter in 2-inch circles (it’s going to expand to about a full 3-inch circles).    

3. Arrange the pasta and mixed vegetables over the batter and only add the cheese when the bubbles appear on the batter.    

4. Use a spatula, turn the pancakes  quickly and tap gently to make the pancake uniform in thickness.    

5. Cook until the cheese melted and golden (which takes about 1-2 minutes). Repeat step 2 to 5 for the remaining batter.    

6. Serve macaroni-side up with butter and warm maple syrup or ketchup.