The secret ingredient in the world’s very best pancakes is mac and cheese
I had dined at Shopsin’s many times before the owner finally yelled at me. Long before “The Bear” made having a volatile personality a sexy quality in the food industry, Kenny Shopsin was operating his family-run downtown restaurant on equal measures of inventiveness and irascibility. Until his death in 2018, Shopsin tirelessly took umbrage with large dining parties, fussy orderers and general complainers. It was always worth it.
The menu stretched on for pages and bent heavily in a sandwiches and eggs direction, but I usually opted for the pancakes — abundant, golden, thick, impossible to finish.
Fortunately, Shopsin’s still exists, and it’s still a family-operated, if less cantankerous, experience for hungry patrons. But when I want a Shopsin’s-like meal without leaving the house, I can throw together one of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes without a fuss.
Macaroni and cheese and pancakes, what more do you need to know? If you like carbs inside of carbs, if you like cheese upon cheese, this is the meal for you. The traditional Shopsin’s method involves plain elbow noodles, but I always seem to have a container of the leftover Kraft stuff lurking in the back of the fridge — and I prefer the extra cheese boost.
Trust me, there’s no better endgame for leftover mac and cheese. And if you use all-in-one pancake mix, you can have these in your belly in minutes and spend the rest of the day in a state of blissful satiation.
Obviously, these are equally decadent for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, and they’ll be a huge hit with the frittata-jaded friends in your orbit. If you like living dangerously, you can also sandwich two pancakes between eggs and bacon, as they do Shopsin’s for a delicacy as confrontational — and ingenious — as its inventor.
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Inspired by Shopsin’s
Macaroni and Cheese Pancakes
Yields
10 – 12 servings
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
- Peanut or similar neutral oil
- Butter
- 3 cups prepared pancake batter, from a mix or homemade
- 1 heaping cup cooked macaroni and cheese, warm or room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar, or your preferred cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and set aside a large sheet pan.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a thin coating of oil and heat until just shimmering, then add a pat of butter.
- Spoon out the batter in roughly 4-inch circles until it bubbles, about 1 to 3 minutes. Don’t crowd the pan.
- When the batter is bubbling, drop 1 tablespoon or so of the macaroni and cheese onto each pancake, followed by a sprinkle of cheese.
- Turn the pancakes over and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Press down on them to cook evenly.
- Remove to the sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter. Add a little more oil and butter to the skillet as needed.
- Serve warm with maple syrup, hot sauce or both.
More clever uses
for pancake batter
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