Saved By The Griddle: Breakfast For Dinner

posted February 18, 2008
  by Christine Gable, Kiddie Chow

It’s inevitable. It seems like every week there’s at least one day that I just don’t know what to make for dinner. That’s when I start asking others in the house for suggestions, which usually goes nowhere fast. So then I might suggest some starting points—old standbys such as spaghetti or fish sticks—about which no one, including myself, is very enthused.

And that’s how we ended up having breakfast for supper. Yep, you read that right … we flip-flopped the whole idea of what foods are proper. When I threw out the suggestion to get those supper ideas rolling … pancakes, anyone? While it was met with instant enthusiasm from the 9-year-old segment, it met with some disdain from the teenage segment.

Well, if there’s one thing we all know for sure about cooking, it’s that it’s one of the hardest regular daily activities in which it’s possible to please everyone. Yet with no more plausible suggestions from anyone, and armed with a 9-year-old's endorsement, we went forth.

Pancakes with butter, with maple syrup, with blueberries or chocolate chips? With butter and maple syrup was confirmed—and after grabbing the box of Bisquick and some brown-n-serve sausages, dinner was lookin’ fairly quick and easy. And that’s always a winner in my book.

Come to think of it, pancakes aren’t so bad for dinner after all … most everyone loves ‘em—especially kids.

Even better yet, pancakes are a simple and easy way to get kids cooking in the kitchen. Whether you mix ‘em up from scratch or pull out the “just add milk or water” mix, pancakes paired with scrambled eggs (or even tofu) are a sure way to get dinner on the table fast. And with our busy lives and schedules, there’s less and less chance of running into someone who has already eaten them for breakfast.

Best of all, pancakes are just plain fun. It all started when I was feeling playful and tried to flip a few flapjacks from the griddle to one of the kids’ plates … you know, like we had seen on TV once.

It really is harder to hit a plate than it looks—and instead of trying my hand with each cake that came off the griddle, we ended up using two “test pancakes” as practice cakes. Before long everyone was tossing and flipping and part of the action. Sure enough, with the right angle and quick flip of the wrist, it really was possible to hit the plate. Although the kids proved to be much more agile and skilled than me. Just be sure to hold the maple syrup until the flipping is finished.

So even if your crew isn’t into flipping those flapjacks across the kitchen (although I encourage you to try it—it’s just plain fun!), keep ‘em in mind for a quick and easy meal. Even better yet, have the kids whip up a batch.

But pancakes are just one part of what makes a breakfast-dinner delicious. Here’s a list of some other breakfast-y type foods that are great for mixing-n-matching when you decide to try breakfast for dinner. Or just breakfast.

Pancakes are one part of what makes a breakfast dinner delicious. Boost the balanced meal effect when you pair pancakes with any of the following:

• Scrambled eggs
• Scrambled tofu
• Low-fat yogurt with fruit
• Easy cheese omelet
• Brown ‘n serve sausages
• Boca sausages
• Turkey or low-fat bacon


Next week: Making Healthy Food Fun

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.

For more info and updates on Christine Gable, visit her personal website at:
http://www.christinegable.com/

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