Summer is the season of patios, simple meals and outdoor cooking. This season, Master Chef Canada’s Julie Miguel has partnered with Maple Leaf foods to create simple family-favourite recipes to inspire summer entertaining. From hot dogs to ham and everyone’s breakfast favourite, bacon, all of these recipes have been made with real simple ingredients you can feel good about feeding to the whole gang. Here’s our favourite recipe pick!
Big Batch Ham, Cheese and Vegetable Pancakes (Makes 25 pancakes)
Ingredients:
3 cups Maple Leaf Smoked Black Forest Ham, chopped into 1⁄4-inch cubes
1 small cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 5-6 cups)
4 medium carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 2 cups)
1 bunch asparagus, sliced into thin rounds (about 4 cups)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
24 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cheddar cheese, finely shredded
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil, for frying
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ham, cabbage, carrots, asparagus and scallions. Add in flour and toss to coat evenly the vegetables. In a separate bowl, add eggs, cheddar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the cabbage mixture. Stir to combine and evenly coat the vegetables. Heat a large, heavy frying pan to high heat. Add canola oil and let the pan continue to warm up. Pour mixture, 1⁄2 cup at a time, into the pan, making sure they do not overlap in the pan. Using a spatula, slightly flatten pancakes so they spread out slightly. Cook until the edges turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Continue cooking pancakes in batches, removing any stray crispy vegetable or egg pieces. Refresh the oil every few batches to avoid getting burnt bits in your pancakes. Remember to allow the oil to heat before adding in your next batch. Store in a sealed container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Serve pancakes hot, warm or even cold – they taste great any way you serve them!
TIPS
-Because of the big batch, you might find it easiest to do the mixing with clean hands versus a wooden spoon or spatula.
-Depending on the size of your frying pan, you can make the pancakes in batches of 3 to 4 at a time.
-You can reheat the pancakes in a toaster oven, microwave or frying pan until warm.
Maple Leaf Foods is removing all artificial preservatives, flavours, colours and sweeteners from its products as the company advances its commitment to be a leader in sustainable protein. The change is grounded in Maple Leaf’s largest ever consumer research project which showed that Canadian consumers are increasingly interested in their food and its production, seeking responsible food options that they can feel good about.
For more info and recipes visit www.mapleleaf.ca @MapleLeafFoods @Julie_Miguel_