Big Batch Breakfasts to Feed a Crowd
The holidays are here! At the Original Pancake House in Denver, we’ve been celebrating the season already with the return of our holiday specials menu, you can check out all the scrumptious holiday treats we have for breakfast in Denver here! For many of us, the holiday season means we have a full house with family and friends and neighbors coming to call. So how do you prepare to feed a crowd for holiday breakfast or brunch? You go BIG and make a big batch breakfast to feed a crowd. Here are a few of our favorite breakfasts ideas that will feed a large, hungry group this holiday!
Your family and friends will love the Tex-Mex flavors in this recipe (courtesy of Southern Living Magazine). Eggs combined with milk, tortilla, peppers, onion, jack cheese and chiles make a delicious and flavorful breakfast casserole. We also love this recipe because it works best if you prepare it the night before. That means on the morning of your large holiday brunch, you just pop it in the oven with no prep or clean-up! That’s a win in our book.
Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes
Crispy chorizo and potatoes topped with eggs all baked together in a big cast-iron skillet - what’s not to love? This hearty and flavorful breakfast is sure to be a crowd pleaser and covers all breakfast staples in one big pan. YUM.
For those with a sweet tooth, this recipe is for you! Glazed with honey and topped with seasonal and nutty pecans, these breakfast rolls are delightful and work well to bring as a hostess gift or to act as the centerpiece on your breakfast table. Serve these pecan honey buns to a large group of guests with a yogurt bar and breakfast is done!
Who doesn’t enjoy a breakfast pie this time of year? Quiche are so pretty and easy to make in advance. You can even save time by using store-bought dough. When we’re preparing breakfast for a large crowd, we like to make a few different quiche options to satisfy every taste. Our favorites include classic ham and cheddar, spinach and gruyere, and bacon and potato. One of the best features of quiche is that you can put almost anything in them and come up with a delicious breakfast meal for your family and friends!
Whatever your plans for the holiday season, we hope you enjoy time with loved ones! And after your hosting duties are complete, come on by the Original Pancake House in Denver and say hi! We’ll treat you to some of our favorite holiday breakfasts!
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 recipes 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!
Labor Day Traditions
Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 and since then it has signaled the end of summer. Although we’re sad to see summer leave us, there is still much fun to be had over the long weekend in Denver to wrap up the summer memories and create a few more memories.
Host BBQs and Picnics–
What honors the summer season more than a good ol’ BBQ or picnic? Gather up your friends and family and fire up the grill for one last outdoor hurrah with this tasty on-the-grill recipe:
Grilled Grapes: Marinate halved grapes in ½ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon crushed red-chili flakes, 2 crushed garlic cloves for 10 minutes. Place grapes in a grill basket and pop on medium heat to grill for no more than 2 minutes. Eat as is for a Denver brunch or place atop some toasted bread with brie for a sophisticated, quick and creamy sweet appetizer at dinner.
Splish-Splash—
The weather is still nice enough to take one (or two) last dives in the pool or lake. It’s also a great time for a boating or fishing trip. Soak up the summer rays and spend time on or in the water! Anyone up for a little Marco Polo?
Last Day to Wear White—
Fashionistas say not to wear white clothing after Labor Day given the cooler weather coming in and historical fashion rules. But old habits die hard, so for many of you, this weekend is your last chance to sparkle in white before perusing your closet for those warmer fall colors.
Travel—
A somewhat atypical way to spend Labor Day - but how often do you get a three day weekend, eh? Many find it the perfect time to travel around. Enjoy the beauty of Colorado by escaping to the mountains or enjoying all that the Mile High city has to offer. See the sights and sounds
of a new environment and maybe do some shopping, restaurant-hopping, and outdoor activities with the family.
Community Festivals—
Colorado is packed full of festivals this time of year offering food, music and lots of excitement. Some popular events sure to satisfy your inner foodie, sports fan and artsy side include:
- A Taste of Colorado happening August 29-September 1 at Civic Center Park in Denver.
- Rocky Mountain Showdown happening August 29 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.
- Chihuly at the Denver Botanic Gardens exhibit taking place through November 30th.
When thinking about the literal meaning of Labor Day, it doesn’t sound all that appealing but knowing these traditions are celebrated across the country makes celebrating the value of work by taking time off, a little more enjoyable, don’t you think? So whether you’re spending time around the pool or maybe enjoying a yummy Denver breakfast with us at the Original Pancake House Denver Tech Center restaurant or Cherry Hills Village restaurant, we hope you enjoy it!
What's up with all the plates?
If you’ve ever been to The Original Pancake House, you probably noticed that our restaurants’ walls are decorated with plates. These aren’t just any plates that you can find on today’s department store shelves. Beautiful, hand-painted and handled with care, our plates are just one of the family traditions that makes us The Original Pancake House.
Owner Sara Hueneke Ernst grew up seeing plates displayed in both of her grandparents’ homes. They were collectors and traders and they could never show off all their plates at once. So as family does, they passed them down to Sara, who now proudly displays them here at both of our Denver restaurants and at home.
If you ever see one you just can’t live without, Sara’s been known to trade plates right off the restaurant wall – as long as you bring something equally beautiful to replace it.
The Original Pancake House plate tradition is as old as our original recipes, and serves as a reminder of those special family breakfasts on weekend mornings. Come on in to enjoy one of your own. We’re serving up memories daily!