Fall Feast - Celebrate the Flavors of Fall!
September 22 marks the fall equinox and the official beginning of the new season. We’ve all seen the return of pumpkin spice lattes over the past few weeks, but there are so many other flavors, fruits, and veggies that are iconic of the fall season. When planning fall meals and celebrations, don’t forget these delicious seasonal treats!
Apple: The fall apple harvest means hot apple cider, apple cinnamon donuts, caramel apples, apple pies…there are so many ways to incorporate this delicious seasonal fruit into your next meal and gathering. Add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger and these sweet and delicious treats will warm you on those first chilly evenings!
Pomegranate: This little fruit comes into season each fall with celebratory red colors and bright flavors. Not to mention, pomegranates are packed full of vitamins! Try adding pomegranate to your morning yogurt and granola, or spice up a seasonal salad with these delightful little berries.
Pear: Pears are also in season during the fall months and make any meal sweeter. We like to add them sliced thin on sandwiches, or mixed in with a fall garden salad, and of course a pear tart with cinnamon and ginger makes for an enchanting fall desert!
Maple: At The Original Pancake House in Denver we enjoy hot maple syrup year round at our breakfast table, but maple is a great flavor to add to any dish this time of year. We love to make maple pound cake and maple muffins for a yummy fall treat.
Butternut Squash: We love this little gourd even more than pumpkin! A warm bowl of butternut squash soup on a cool evening is a heavenly comfort meal. We always season with a bit of fall spice such as ginger, nutmeg, and a dash of cinnamon.
The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver; try some of our fall favorite menu items at The Original Pancake House. Our Apple Belgian Waffle and our Apple Pancake are chock full of fresh granny smith apples, with flavors of cinnamon and maple. And Sara’s Pumpkin Pancakes are not to be missed with rich pumpkin, molasses, and pie spices. Happy fall Denver!
September is National Biscuit Month!
Did you know September is National Biscuit Month? We can think of no better way to celebrate 
the coming of fall than a warm plate of biscuits and gravy. They’re comforting, homey, and such a satisfying way to start the day. At The Original Pancake House Denver, one of our favorite hearty breakfast items is our Biscuit with Homemade Sausage Gravy and Eggs. We serve up a buttermilk biscuit, split and smothered in our homemade gravy, with two eggs and home fries on the side. Now there is a breakfast that will get you going in the morning!
For those of you who would like to try to make your own biscuits at home this month, here is one of our favorite recipes:
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 10 biscuits
- 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chilled shortening, cut into pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Melted butter
Preheat the oven to 425°F and position the oven rack slightly below the center of the oven. Lightly butter a round cake pan or cast-iron skillet.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Snap the pieces of shortening with your fingers until the shortening pieces are no larger than peas. Make a well in the mixture and pour in the cream and ⅔ cup of the buttermilk. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, sweep in the flour and turn the dough until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough resembles cottage cheese, adding enough of the remaining ⅓ cup buttermilk to reach this consistency.
Sprinkle the rolling surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and sprinkle the top with flour. With floured hands, fold the dough in half and pat the dough into a ⅓- to ½-inch-thick round, using additional flour as needed. Flour again if necessary and fold the dough in half a second time. If the dough is still clumpy, repeat the folding process for a third time. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the flour and cut out biscuits, ensuring you do not twist the cutter.
Place the biscuits in the pan, sides slightly touching. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown, rotating the pan 180°F after 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the biscuits again with melted butter.
Recipe curtesy of Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains by Elizabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2014.
Be sure to stop in and try our biscuits and homemade gravy if you are out for breakfast in Denver this month! Happy Biscuiting!
Back to School Breakfasts!
Gone are the lazy days of summer and leisurely breakfasts. With the kids heading back to school, most families find themselves scarfing down a few bites of a hurried morning meal before rushing out the door. But just because the new school year might mean less time in the morning, it doesn’t mean you can’t make sure those few quick bites are nutritious and delicious! Here are a few of our favorite easy breakfast ideas to start your day.
Monster Green Smoothie
This easy breakfast recipe is so simple; it may become your go-to for mornings on the run. And not only is this smoothie quick and yummy, but it will start everyone’s day with a big boost of healthy fruits and veggies!
Combine in blender or food processor:
- 2 cups liquid of choice (orange juice, milk, yogurt, etc.)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1-2 frozen bananas
Pour mixture into to-go cups for those days when you are running late and enjoy on the ride to school and work.
Nutella & Banana Sushi
Moms and dads can quickly wrap up this breakfast while simultaneously helping with forgotten homework and brushing teeth. Simply spread chocolate Nutella in a thin layer across whole wheat wrap. Place entire (peeled) banana in center of wrap and roll wrap around banana. Slice “roll” to make individual “sushi” bites. You’ll love this breakfast as it is easy to pop in a baggy and take in the car on the way to school for those days you are running late!
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
This recipe is another quick and easy breakfast that you can either make ahead or pop in the oven for a quick treat. And of course the kids will love the idea of eating “cookies” for breakfast!
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup plain quick cooking oats OR 2 packets low-sugar strawberries in cream oatmeal
- 2 very ripe bananas (mashed)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (if using plain oats)
- 2 tsp Stevia®, or your favorite sweetener (if using plain oats)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix oats and mashed bananas. If using plain oats add in cinnamon and sweetener. Using a spoon, spoon small amounts of oatmeal mixture onto cookie sheet to form bite size cookies. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container.
And of course, for those weekend days when you have time to go out for breakfast in Denver, be sure to stop in and say hi to your friends at The Original Pancake House! We’ll be happy to do all the breakfast work for you so that you can enjoy a well-deserved morning off!
Kids in the Kitchen!
As long summer days stretch on, your kiddos might start getting a little bored with their usual activities. At The Original Pancake House, one of our favorite things to do with the kids during the dog days of summer is to have a little fun in the kitchen. Cooking with your kids can be a great activity and of course is very rewarding for everyone as the whole family will enjoy eating the culinary creations.
We’ve come up with a few of our favorite recipes to cook with the kids. And best of all, these easy food recipes for kids work well for a breakfast or snack on the go all year round!
Donut Hole Breakfast Skewers
These little skewers are easy, quick, and fun for little hands to assemble! Plus, they make for a great breakfast-on-the-go for busy mornings or when the kids head back to school this fall! In this example we used strawberries and blackberries, but any fruit will work. Try a variety of different fruits and see if your kids can make a rainbow!
Ingredients:
Donut holes
Strawberries
Blackberries
Skewers
Directions:
Have kids assemble fruit and donut holes skewers according to preference. Try serving with salted caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and shredded coconut for an extra fun treat.
Honey Nut Cheerio Snack Bar
We love these little bars because they are fun and easy for kids to help make and we end up with a great stash of healthy snack bars for an afternoon at the pool or a quick breakfast! Try substituting with any type of fruit, nut, or cereal for this recipe to mix it up.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy unsalted butter (half of one stick)
1/4 cup honey (light-colored corn syrup may be substituted and will keep the bars firmer at room temp than using honey)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
1 cup raisins, optional (1 cup honey-roasted peanuts, 1 cup chopped almonds, or 1 cup trail mix may be substituted)
1/2 cup chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, optional
Pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt for sprinkling, optional
Directions:
- Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power. Stop to stir. On this third and final burst, mixture will become quite bubbly and foamy; use caution when removing from micro because this is boiling hot caramel and can cause burns.
- Stir in the vanilla using caution because mixture could bubble up.
- Stir in the cereal.
- Stir in the optional raisins (or nuts).
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top.
- Optionally, sprinkle evenly with sunflower seeds and salt (the salt cuts some of the sweetness and I recommend it).
- Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until bars are completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
- Bars will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I recommend storing them in the fridge rather than room temp because they soften and get loose.
Bon appetite and enjoy cooking with your kids!
Celebrate National Blueberry Month!
Did you know? July in National Blueberry Month! One of our favorite fruits to top any breakfast, blueberries have it all. Blueberries are native to the United States and are grown in 35 out of 50 states with Maine producing more blueberries than any other place in the world. In fact, the United States supplies 95% of the world’s blueberry demand. That’s a lot of blueberries! Blueberries are also known for their amazing health benefits and are rich in antioxidants, fiber, Vitamin C and may slow cognitive decline and improve brain function. There are so many reasons to love and celebrate these little blue wonders this month.
At The Original Pancake House, we love to include blueberries in many of our signature dishes. The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, we recommend you try our Blueberry Belgian Waffles or our Blueberry Pancakes. You’ll find both these breakfast favorites chock-full of plump, delicious blueberries and served with powdered sugar, whipped butter, and our warm blueberry compote syrup.
And if you’d like to create a delicious blueberry breakfast at home, we recommend this recipe for blueberry muffins:
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup milk
2 1⁄2 cups fresh blueberries or 2 1⁄2 cups frozen blueberries
Instructions
Heat oven to 375°. Grease 18 regular-size muffin cups. In a large bowl, mix butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. With a spoon, fold in half of flour then half of milk into batter; repeat. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into muffin cups and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and springy to touch.
From our kitchen to yours, happy National Blueberry Month Denver!
Meet Jennifer Cheshek!
Have you met Jennifer Cheshek, our wonderful manager at our Denver Tech Center location? Jennifer’s big smile and a warm welcome are hard to miss and brighten even the cloudiest day. We thought you might like to get to know the lady behind the smile. Read on to learn a bit more about our wonderful DTC General Manager, Jennifer!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and where you are from.
A: My name is Jennifer Cheshek, I was born in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. I have lived in the Denver metro area since 1986.
Q: How long have you been with the Original Pancake House?
A: I have worked at OPH Denver since October 2001. I started as a server and became a general manager in November 2002.
Q: What is your favorite part about working at OPH?
A: What I love most about my job are all the wonderful guests and the great staff I have had the pleasure to work with. I am very blessed to work for amazing owners as well.
Q: What is your favorite menu item?
A: My favorite menu item is hard to say, there are so many delicious options! I will give my top three: the Apple Pancake, Cherry Kijafa Crepes, and of course the Bacon!
Q: If you could have breakfast with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you eat?
A: I have always said the two people I would love to have a conversation with would be Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. They seem to be genuine people with great sense of humor. I would eat our Cherry Kijafa Crepes.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing a little bit about you! The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver at our DTC location, be sure to say “hi” to Jennifer, she loves getting to know her customers!
Congratulations to the Class of 2016!
It is cap and gown season again and we are so proud of our local high school graduates! We will certainly miss your smiling faces around the breakfast table, but we wish you the best of luck as you head off to college and careers!
In honor of your special day, we’d like to share with you a few of our favorite inspirational graduation 
messages. Hopefully these words will encourage you and help guide you through the next few years!
“Just because you don't know what you want yet, it doesn't mean that there's nothing to want.” — Emily Henry
"It’s your turn. And the good news is, you’re ready. And when your journey seems too hard, and when you run into a chorus of cynics who tell you that you’re being foolish to keep believing or that you can’t do something, or that you should just give up, or you should just settle — you might say to yourself a little phrase that I’ve found handy these last eight years: Yes, we can." — Barack Obama
"Now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make good art." — Neil Gaiman
"You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world." — Tom Brokaw
And of course, we have to add a few of our own words of wisdom to the list. Remember the following and don’t forget to come see us for breakfast out in Denver!
“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.” – Unknown
Good luck Class of 2016!
Celebrate Mom!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner! We love this special holiday as it is a time to celebrate all of our moms and thank them for their love and support. Of course one of the best ways to say thank you to mom is to take her out for a nice breakfast in Denver. We’ll be happy to host your whole family so that you can give mom a much needed and well-deserved morning off!
Here are a couple of other cute gift ideas to show mom that she is special:
Hand Print Flower Art – Great for kids ages 0-5
Little ones will need a bit of help from Dad to work the paint, but will love covering their hands in bright colors to make the flower prints on this cute homemade card for mom.
Fruit Flower Bouquet – Great for kids ages 6 and up
This is a wonderful project to do with young children and makes a very special treat for moms on Mother’s Day. It would be a great gift to tide everyone over before going out to brunch later in the morning. Little one’s may need some help from dad to cut the shapes, but then can arrange the fruit flowers on their own!
Homemade Chocolate Truffles – Great for kids ages 10 and up
Instead of buying mom a box of chocolates from the store, gather the whole family (minus mom of course!) and make your own! Homemade chocolates are easy and make a very fun project for older children. Plus mom will love this sweet, homemade gift! Check out the recipe here.
To all our moms, we wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day from your Original Pancake House family!
Add a little SPRING to your breakfast
Spring is finally in full swing in Denver! We love the sweet smells of flowering trees and plants, bright green grass, and warm sunshine. This time of year, we really like to enjoy breakfast dishes that utilize fresh spring produce – both at home and when we go out to breakfast in Denver!
For a comforting and healthy spring breakfast at home, we love this recipe for asparagus and prosciutto strata which utilizes all the fresh flavors of spring. Served warm on a lovely spring morning alongside a warm cup of coffee and a bright spring berry salad, you’ll be in heaven! Read on for the recipe below!
Asparagus and Prosciutto Strata
Ingredients:
2 slices dense multigrain bread
12 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup dry white wine or low-fat milk
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups halved and very thinly sliced sweet onions
1 cup thinly sliced leek(s), white part only
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch thin asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped scallions or fresh chives
3 very thin slices prosciutto (about 1 1/2 ounces), torn into strips
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional)
Directions
- Cut bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in milk, wine (or another 1/2 cup milk), dry mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the bread. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables. (If baking the next day, cover and refrigerate the egg mixture.)
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, leek and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking very gently, stirring occasionally, until the onions have a little color and appear almost melted, 30 to 45 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add asparagus, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and let cool; pat dry.
- Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or similar 3-quart dish) with cooking spray.
- When the onions are done, stir in scallions (or chives) and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the asparagus over the onion mixture. (If baking the next day: cover and refrigerate the vegetables in the baking dish.)
- If the egg mixture and vegetables were refrigerated overnight, remove from the refrigerator, uncover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Scatter strips of prosciutto over the vegetables. Stir 1/4 cup cheese, parsley, mint and lemon zest (if using) into the egg mixture until well combined, then pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top.
- Bake the strata just until firm to the touch in the middle and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 160°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, very carefully cover with foil to keep warm and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Tips
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare egg mixture (through Step 1) and vegetables (Steps 2-5) and refrigerate separately for up to 1 day; remove from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking (2 hours before serving).
And of course for those days that you’d rather have us cook up a delicious spring breakfast, we have many dishes that will brighten your day including our Seasonal Berry Crepes, Blueberry or Strawberry Waffles, our Garden Benedict, or the Vegetarian Omelet! Happy Spring Denver!
Celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month!
We all know by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If your normal routine of cold cereal is giving you the winter blues, it might be time to spice up your morning with a hot breakfast. February is the perfect time to switch up the menu as this month is National Hot Breakfast Month.
For those who are on the go and need a very quick meal in the morning, hot oatmeal might be just the ticket. Simply boil water, mix with instant oats, and you are ready to go. If you plan ahead, you can even make traditional oats in the slow-cooker overnight and have them piping hot and ready for you as head out the door, check out our recipe here.
In our house, we like to make egg sandwiches each morning. They are quick, easy, filling, and healthy! Simply toast English muffins, fry up a couple of eggs, add cheese and ham if you like, and you are ready to eat in just three minutes. You can even wrap these yummy breakfast sammies up in tin foil and eat them during the morning commute.
On weekends, when we have a little more time, we try our hand at homemade pancakes, waffles, and muffins. And of course on lazy weekends we celebrate with breakfast out in Denver! Sometimes it is nice to have your friends at the Original Pancake House do all the work, and clean-up, for you!
From our breakfast table to yours, happy National Hot Breakfast Month!
Denver Broncos Super Bowl Specials!
At the Original Pancake House we are so proud of our Denver Broncos that we decided to salute these brave men as they face off against the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 this Sunday. We’ve come up with a couple of delicious Super Bowl Specials for this weekend only! If you are out for breakfast in Denver, come celebrate the Super Bowl 50 with these scrumptious orange and blue breakfasts! GO BRONCOS!
SUPER BOWL SPECIALS
Mile High Salute
A Denver scramble with peppers and ham over our home fried potatoes smothered in Tillamook Cheddar Cheese and Pork Green Chile Sauce. Served with three Bronco Orange pancakes topped with orange whipped cream and blue sprinkles. $12.95
Go Broncos Plate
Three of our made from scratch Bronco Orange pancakes topped with orange whipped cream and blue sprinkles. Served with two strips of Pigskin (bacon). $7.50
We’re nutty about Pecans!
At The Original Pancake House we go nuts for pecans! We love them in our Banana Praline Crepes, we enjoy the crunch they add to our Pecan Belgian Waffle, we can’t get enough of their toasty goodness in our Georgia Pecan Pancakes, and they certainly add a special something to our Banana Praline French Toast. YUM! To celebrate this special nut, we’ve collected a few fun facts about pecans.
Did you know?
- The name “pecan” is a Native American word that was used to describe nuts requiring a stone to crack. There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee.
- The pecan capital of the world is Albany, Georgia, which boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees.
- Pecan trees are native to North America and over 80% of the world’s pecan crop comes from the United States. Some of the larger pecan shellers process 150,000 pounds of pecans each day. That’s enough to make 300,000 pecan pies!
- Pecan trees only produce nuts every two years. Pecans come in a variety of sizes – mammoth, extra-large, large, medium, small and midget.
- The pecan pie was created by French people who had settled in New Orleans.
- The pecan is heart healthy and contains antioxidants, 19 vitamins and minerals and healthy fat. Pecans are also high in zinc and provide 10% of daily recommended value per serving.
- In 1995, Georgia pecan wood was selected by the Atlanta Committee to make the handles of the torches for the 1996 Olympic Games. The torches were carried in the 15,000-mile U.S.A. relay and in the lighting of the Olympic flame in Atlanta on July 19, 1996.
- About 78 pecans are used in the average pecan pie.
- Pecan trees can live to be over 200 years old. The largest and oldest trees can have a trunk that is three feet in diameter and can be over 150 feet tall.
- One ounce of pecans provides 10% of the recommended daily fiber intake.
All of these fun facts are making us hungry; time to get cracking on our next batch of Georgia Pecan Pancakes. Next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, come join us and try one of our delicious pecan breakfast dishes!