Savory Corn Pancakes with White Cheddar & Rosemary

I'm back home after a brief but wonderful trip to Crested Butte where all I had to do was take care of myself and the dog. It was magical. Really. I don't remember the last time I had so few responsibilities. I meant for the trip to be a sort of work retreat as well, but I left my charger for my laptop at home (perhaps that was on purpose?) and instead spent time sitting in a hot tub gazing at a 360 degree view of the mountains, drinking wine, and sitting in front of the fireplace drinking hot cocoa and reading. It was rough. I can tell you feel really bad for me.

It snowed the first full day of my stay and I loved every second and every snow flake. The photo above is what it looked like the following morning. The brightest blue sky, snow capped mountains, and bright yellow bursts of aspen groves. Perfection.

No matter how long I'm away from my own kitchen, it takes me some time to get back into the swing of things. Today I eased back into my cooking routine by whipping up some savory corn pancakes with fresh rosemary and sharp white cheddar cheese. Topped with honey and a little butter, they were perfect for a slightly chilly fall morning. Riley LOVED them. And so did I. They will definitely be making another appearance at our table. Perhaps next time they will be a dinner item topped with a little chard and a poached egg. I think yes.

Now, don't go telling too many people about this, but I used a boxed mix for cornbread as the base of this recipe. Shocking, I know.

The great thing about these pancakes is that you can make them into waffles, or you can add different flavors like feta cheese and fresh thyme, cheddar cheese, jalapeños and cilantro, or any other combination that strikes your fancy. Just remember to toss your add-ins with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients. They will be more evenly distributed that way and you won't have to over-mix your batter.

Savory Corn Pancakes with White Cheddar & Rosemary

Ingredients

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• walnut or canola oil for cooking
• honey
• butter

Instructions

1. Pour the cornbread mix into a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together.
2. Toss the shredded cheese and rosemary with the dry ingredients.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be lumpy but that's OK.
4. Grease a large pan or griddle with a little of the walnut or canola oil and heat over a medium-low flame. The pan is ready when drops of water evaporate almost immediately when splattered in the pan.
5. Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop batter into your prepared pan. Cook until the edges of the pancake are dry and small bubbles rise to the surface. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes. If the first pancakes becomes too dark or not dark enough, adjust the heat as necessary.
6. Serve drizzled with honey and topped with a touch of butter.