Joe's Homemade Birthday "MacGriddles"

Joe and I enjoy comparing notes from our childhood to see where our similarities and differences align from when we were kids. As you can assume, the food that made up my upbringing was very different compared to Joe's. I enjoyed things like cheeseless pizza, not having milk with my school lunch, and eating stuff like Tofutti Frozen Dessert "Cuties" rather than ice cream. I definitely ate very differently compared to Joe.

One thing Joe got to do that I never really did was enjoy fast food breakfasts. With food allergies and the fears of cross-contamination in fast-food chains, on top of 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 wanted to request for dinner on his 29th birthday. We got to researching and created a safe recipe, renaming the famous fast food McDonald's breakfast option to the "MacGriddle".

What's a McGriddle?

A McGriddle sandwich is a type of breakfast sandwich that is offered at McDonald's. It consists of bacon, a scrambled egg flap, and American cheese on two maple-flavored pancakes that are acting as the sandwich's bread.

Here is how we made our own:

Joe's Homemade Birthday "MacGriddles"

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The recipe yields about 2 to 4 MacGriddles.

Ingredients:

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

• ½ cup maple syrup, plus more for brushing

• 4 Vital Farms eggs

• 4 strips bacon, cooked and cut in half

• 4 slices cheddar cheese (dairy-free or regular)

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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.

To cook your pancakes:

1. 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.

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

3. Cook until bubbles appear around the edges and the edges of the pancakes look cooked. If you are using round molds, remove the rings with tongs. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until done.

4. Place the pancakes on a plate or serving tray. Brush one side of the pancake with maple syrup, and set them aside to cool.

To cook your eggs:

1. Crack your eggs in a bowl and scramble.

2. Grease the griddle or pan and heat over medium heat until hot.

3. 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.

To assemble your MacGriddle:

1. Start with one pancake.

2. Then add the egg, cheese, and bacon, before topping with another pancake.

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