What simpler way to kickstart your day than with a stack of golden pancakes dripping with butter and maple syrup? Such a lovely meal is exceptionally energizing when paired with hot, brewed coffee. Also, you can swap the maple syrup for some fruit-flavored jam!
But if you find the combination of butter, syrup, and pancakes too rich, what to eat with pancakes to balance it might become a problem for you. A few pieces of fresh fruits are a classic option, but if you keep reading this article, you’ll discover more satisfying ideas.
1. The Best Scrambled Eggs
Pancakes are a popular breakfast food, so it’s hardly surprising that they go extremely well with another well-known morning meal option: eggs. You can have eggs in many ways, but scrambled eggs bring out the fluffy, pillowy textures, delicious creaminess, and incredible yet subtle flavors. While you’re serving it with pancakes, try drizzling maple syrup over scrambled eggs – some people love it, so why not try it?
2. Sheet Pan Eggs
If you’re making breakfast for many people, here’s a quicker and easier alternative: sheet pan eggs. They might be less creamy but are packed with more nutrients and flavor as they have eggs, milk, veggies, cheese, and meat combined in one pan. It’s effortless, too, as you only have to put the pan in the oven, wait for it to cook, then slice the eggs once done!
3. Egg Bites with Bacon and Gruyere
Egg bites, also known as egg muffins, are a fun way to get your morning protein. As the name implies, the egg mixture is cooked in muffin pans, so they get that characteristic shape. Each egg bite has a silky and soft texture. Its creamy, savory flavors come from eggs, bacon, cottage cheese, gruyere, cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce.
4. The Best Crispy Hash Browns
Hash brown, with its crispy and tender textures, is a classic breakfast side dish that goes great with many meals, including pancakes. It is also distinct for its buttery and savory flavors, coming from the russet potatoes, onion, bacon grease, butter, salt, and pepper. It takes only 25 minutes to prepare and cook, and you can serve it with chives for some freshness.
5. How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Opting for a simple meal doesn’t mean sacrificing quality and flavor, as is evident in the bacon and pancake combination. The two together may seem plain in concept, but they’re phenomenal. The bacon is meaty, greasy, salty, and flavorful. In contrast, the pancake is buttery sweet and great for absorbing that bacon grease. If you serve them with eggs on the side, hardly anything gets better.
6. Air Fryer Sausage Links
Besides bacon, another popular breakfast meat is sausage links. While you usually cook them in a pan, this recipe teaches you how to make them in an air fryer so you can reduce the greasiness. However, the sausages still come out flavorful, with hints of smokiness and spiciness. Also, it takes only 10 minutes to make them – perfect when you need to get on the go immediately.
7. Breakfast Sausage Patties
Sausage also comes in a patty form, which you can use as a pancake sandwich filling, along with cheese and eggs. But you can also serve it on the side. They’re easy to make from scratch; you’ll need ground pork, kosher salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme, cayenne, and olive oil. Mix them all, shape them, then cook each patty for around 4 minutes.
8. Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
If you need a heartier meal, pair your pancakes with fried chicken. This recipe is perfect because the buttermilk helps soften the meat, so it’s extra tender and juicy. The rest of the ingredients – flour mixture, spices, and more – make the chicken crunchy, juicy, delicious, and with a hint of spiciness. You can serve this with your favorite gravy.
9. Grilled Chicken Tenders
It would be interesting to pair pancakes with grilled chicken tenders. The flavors are more intense and savory, with a smokiness that elevates the whole dish. The meat is incredibly tender and juicy, tasting so much of the marinade flavors that seeped into them. Meanwhile, the marinade is made of olive oil, lemon, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
10. Smoked Salmon
Pork and chicken may feel too heavy for the morning, but you can swap them for something lighter, like smoked salmon. While its flavors are delicate, you can still taste how incredibly well-blended these are: saltiness, sweetness, and smokiness. It’s achieved by dry-brining and careful smoking, so the salmon isn’t overcooked, and that flavorful balance isn’t overthrown.
11. Classic Fruit Salad
Pancakes are often served with fruit on top, especially berries drizzled in syrup or with whipped cream. But if you want to keep the juicy fruits on the side, it’s best to have them as a salad instead. In that way, you can combine more fruit types, like strawberries, pineapples, grapes, kiwis, and oranges. Plus, the honey lime dressing matches the sweetness of the pancakes.
12. Caramelized Bananas
Fresh banana slices on top of pancakes are a classic move; some even pair it with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, or both! But if you want to take that banana and pancake combo to the next level, make these caramelized bananas. Although essential ingredients are bananas and sugar only, you can switch things up by adding the following: cinnamon, liqueur, or fruit juice!
13. Southern Fried Apples
If you want cool autumn vibes for breakfast, eat your pancakes with these southern fried apples on the side. It’s apples cooked in a buttery cinnamon sauce. The fruit slices absorb the rich sauce excellently, so the flavors go deep and come out intense with every bite. They’re also incredibly tender, but not too much, so they still have some crispiness.
