Brunch Menu: Mini Pancake Skewers, Frittata, and Fruit Pizza

Not gonna lie, I am totally eating the leftovers from this delicious brunch as a I compose this post.

On Sunday, we had several of Daniel's friends from high school over for brunch. One of the things we have loved the most about moving closer to home is being able to host loved ones much more often. It brings both of us joy to make our home a place of gathering, good food, comfort, and laughter for others.

I'm sharing all of the recipes I used for this brunchy gathering.

Brunch Menu :

Fruit Pizza
Bacon & Sausage Frittata
Mini Pancake Skewers
Drinks :
Orange Juice
 Simply Peach Juice 

Quick tip: I baked all of my bacon in the oven before beginning any recipes. Just place the bacon on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. It's a major time saver. Do you ever prepare bacon in the oven? It's a great and less messy alternative to stovetop frying. 

My favorite part to make was an original idea of mine, the mini pancake skewers!

 I actually did not plan to make these at all. I got out a toothpick to poke the fruit pizza dough to make sure it was done, and got inspired by the toothpick! We had been at a wedding the night before, so I was probably inspired by those delicious appetizers to invent my own breakfast app. (Like apps and zerts- Parks & Recreation, anyone?) This recipe makes two different flavors of mini pancake skewers, flavoring the batter halfway through.

Mini Pancake Skewers 

Ingredients:

1.5 C Pancake Mix, prepared according to package directions

3 Slices bacon, cooked and cut into 1 inch squares
Handful of blackberries
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
2 Tbs Powdered Sugar

1/4 C Maple Syrup 

Spray Oil 

Directions:

1. Prepare pancake mix in a small bowl according to package directions. You may want to add additional water to make the mix a little thinner than usual, so these tiny pancakes don't get tough. 

2. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Spray with oil.

3. Drop pancake mix by the teaspoonful, varying sizes. Flip when bottom is golden brown. You can use a spatula to flip an entire batch at once. Remove pancakes from griddle and place on a plate. I did one half of the mix before switching my pancake flavor.

4.  With one half of mix remaining in bowl, add lemon juice and stir. Repeat step 3 to make your lemon pancakes. When done, place on a separate plate from the regular pancakes. Make sure you know which one is which!

5. Assembly time! For the regular pancakes, start with the biggest mini pancake and put it on the bottom of the skewer. Follow by a piece of bacon. Next, add a middle sized mini pancake, followed by another piece of bacon. Add a teeny pancake on top. Repeat.

For the lemon pancakes, follow the same steps, but sandwich a fresh blackberry in between pancakes instead of bacon. 

6. To serve, place on a platter. Dust the lemon blackberry skewers with powdered sugar, and present a small bowl of syrup for dipping the bacon pancake dippers. Enjoy!

These appetizers are so fun, and there's really an unlimited amount of flavors you could experiment with. Other ideas I have include chocolate pancakes with raspberries in between, coconut pancakes with pineapple, and adding a bit of fried over-hard egg to the bacon pancake bites. 

Bacon & Sausage Frittata 

Ingredients:

9 eggs
1/2 C milk

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 lb ground breakfast sausage
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp basil

Directions:

1. Warm a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pan. Cook until brown and crumbly, about 5-7 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.

2. While sausage browns, prepare your egg mixture. Crack eggs into large bowl, add milk and basil,  and whisk until yolks are broken. Don't overmix. Set aside. 

3. Add bacon crumbles to pan, allowing them to warm a moment. Spread bacon and sausage across the bottom of the pan.

4. Pour egg mixture over the top of the meats. As egg begins to set, use a spatula to run along the edges of the pan, tilting so uncooked mixture flows towards the middle. 

5. When edges begin to pull away from the pan and top is nearly set, sprinkle both cheeses on the top. Transfer pan to oven, broiling eight inches from heat for 3-5 minutes, watching closely. 

6. Let cool five minutes before serving, cut into triangles to serve. 

For the fruit pizza, I searched Pinterest for a quick recipe and found a wonderful one from Mirlanda's Kitchen. The dough doesn't require chill time, and the cream cheese frosting is fantastic.

I didn't have the right serving ware for both the fruit pizza and the frittata, so I served them directly out of their cooking dishes, which works well with our eclectic dining furniture. One of our guests was sweet enough to bring some cheerful flowers, which complemented the spread.

It was a delicious brunch and wonderful gathering!

linking up with:
Teaching What is Good
The Homemaking Party
Full Plate Thursday
Link up on the Edge
Inspire Me Monday
Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party