Overloaded Pancakes

Ingredients (using “guy vocabulary):

• Some Krusteaz pancake mix.
• Some water.

Mix up the pancake mix – as much as you’d usually use – until it’s slightly runnier than usual.

• Some deli ham, thinly sliced and chopped pretty small. I like to use quite a bit. If I use the pre-packaged “thin sliced meat” then I use four or five slices per 5” pancake.
• Some cheese, either shredded or chopped small. I use a couple of ounces per pancake. And this is one place I really like the basic bargain-bin cheddar cheese.

Of course, you’re probably making several pancakes, so use a lot of meat and a lot of cheese. Yeah, I know that’s a lot of content, but trust me, it’s better that way.

• Butter to fry it in.
• Peanut butter (Come on! You don’t eat pancakes without peanut butter, do you?)
• Honey, heated until it’s runny. (Microwave it for a bit; don’t let it boil.) This is better than maple syrup, which is pretty much only flavored sugar water anyway. Unless you have the real thing!

Pre-heat a good ol' cast iron frypan. (Lesser frypans are acceptable if you don't have a well-seasoned black iron pan. Save up your nickels and get one at Goodwill for two bucks.) Put the butter in: when the butter sizzles, the pan’s hot enough.

While it’s heating, stir the meat and the cheese into the pancake with a big spoon. You can add more adulterations if you like.

You can go sweet:

• Some cinnamon and sugar.
• Or brown sugar.
• Or maybe some honey.
• A little nutmeg would add some “pop” to it.
• Maybe some pineapple, cut into small chunks. Don’t get carried away with this one; it’ll mess up the pancake.

Or you can go savory. If you’re going this route, it may pay off to fry the ham slices before adding them to the batter. These don’t do so well with the peanut butter, but I still like it with the honey.

• Some green onions.
• Some roasted garlic (this is one place where the roasting pays off big)
• Some dark chili powder.
  
• Crunchy bacon, fried & chopped
• Maybe some fresh thyme, chopped coarsely.
  

Pour the appropriate amount into the hot frypan or griddle. Let it cook like a more normal pancake without fiddling with it until it starts to smell done; you can’t count on the usual bubbles on the top with this. Flip it over, press it flat with the spatula, and let it cook until that side is done.

I like to sprinkle some of the “additional adulterations” on it right after I’ve flipped it: whatever else I’ve added, I put a little of that on top. I also love a fried egg on top, even with the honey. Serve it as your conscience lets you.

Works well with juice or even better with hot coffee.