Joe's Homemade Birthday "MacGriddles"

Joe and I enjoy comparing notes of our childhood to see where our similarities and differences were as kids. One thing Joe got to do that I never really did was enjoy fast food breakfasts. Due to my food allergies and scares of cross-contamination in fast-food chains, plus my mom's love for cooking, this was something I didn't experience as a kid.

When Joe learned I never had McGriddle before, he knew exactly what he was requesting for dinner for his 29th birthday. We got to researching and created a safe recipe, renaming the famous fast-food breakfast, the "MacGriddle". Here is how we made ours:

Ingredients:

Makes 2 to 4 MacGriddles

• Our perfect Pancake recipe - To give the pancake that extra maple flavor, use Maple Sugar in the sugar options of our recipe.

• 1/2 cup maple syrup, plus more for brushing

• 4 Vital Farms eggs

• 4 strips bacon, cooked and cut in half

• 4 slices American cheese or Oatzarella Cheese

Directions:

1. Make a single batch of my pancake recipe, or any recipe that will yield about 8 four-inch pancakes.

2. Cook your bacon strips as you normally would, then set them aside to cool.

3. To cook your pancakes: Using a square griddle and round molds or a perfect pancake pan, start by greasing the pan and molds; we used oil, but you can also use butter or non-stick cooking spray. Heat your griddle over medium heat until hot.

4. Pour 2 tablespoons batter into each round mold, top with 1 tablespoon maple syrup, then pour 2 more tablespoons on top of that. The idea is to sandwich the maple syrup within the pancakes.

5. Cook until bubbles appear around the edges and the edges of the pancakes look cooked. If you are using the round molds, remove the rings with tongs. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes until done. Place the pancakes on a plate or serving tray. Brush one side of the pancake with maple syrup, and set them aside to cool.

6. To cook your eggs: crack your eggs in a bowl and scramble. Grease the griddle or pan and heat over medium heat until hot. Pour your eggs into the pan and cook. We shaped our egg patty to about the size of our pancakes. Truthfully, this step can go by one's preference.

7. To assemble your MacGriddle: Start with one pancake, egg, cheese, bacon, and another pancake.

8. Eat right away! Or cool and freeze for another day.