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I have incorporated variations of cornbread into several of my challenge submissions, so I was excited to give it one more shot with corn as the "must-use ingredient." Everyone loves brunch, and my idea for this dish came from a restaurant I visited a few years ago in Dallas before the Cotton Bowl. I loved how this dish incorporated several brunch favorites into a single choice, removing the stress of picking just one item from the menu. It was like a fusion of pancakes, biscuits and gravy, eggs, and even hash browns as the base layer.

For my version, I made the pancakes with a cornbread mixture that included cilantro and chili peppers to give it a more savory flavor. I also incorporated some bourbon barrel-aged syrup to really level up the dish and give it some unique sweetness. This dish can satisfy intense hunger and intense cravings. When I eat this dish, I'm reminded of Ohio corn, my visit to Texas and the Buckeye victory over USC in the 2017 Cotton Bowl!

Recipe

Pancake Pot Pie

Yields 3-4 servings of 5-inch pancakes

Cornbread Pancakes

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar
• 2-3 red fresno chili peppers
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

1. Using a knife, remove kernels from corn cobs and place in a saucepot. Add a few pinches of salt and about 2 tablespoons of butter. Cover pot and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, to sweat the corn for 30-40 minutes. For the last 5-10 minutes, remove the cover to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
2. While the corn is cooking, finely chop the red fresno chili peppers and cilantro. Aim to have a few tablespoons of chopped peppers and about 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro.
3. When the corn is done, allow to cool for a few minutes and then blend into a smooth puree.
4. Measure your corn puree and add it to a mixing bowl with an equal amount of AP flour. Depending on how big the ears were, you should have roughly 1/2 cup of corn puree.
5. Add the egg, baking powder, sugar, cilantro and chili peppers. Mix well.
6. Add the milk slowly and continue to mix. Depending on how much moisture was evaporated from the corn, you may need to add a little more or less milk than ½ cup. The finished mix should have the consistency of pancake batter – thick but fluid enough to pour out of the bowl.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then set aside.

Bacon Gravy

Ingredients

• 4-6 thick slices of bacon
• 1-3 tablespoons of flour
• 2-3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, bourbon-barrel aged is preferred
• Salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

1. Cut bacon strips into roughly 1-inch squares and add to a small saucepan. Cover and cook on medium-high heat to crisp the bacon and render the fat. Turn/toss the bacon throughout the cook as needed to cook thoroughly.
2. When bacon is done, use a pair of tongs to remove bacon onto paper-towel lined plate. Be sure to leave as much bacon fat in the pot as possible. When the bacon cools, cut or crumble into smaller pieces, if desired.
3. Lower the heat slightly and sprinkle flour in with the bacon fat to make a roux. Add enough flour to completely mix with the fat, but not so much that the flour burns. Cook to a blonde roux – just a few minutes until it bubbles and darkens slightly.
4. Add the milk, 1/2 cup at a time and stir well to remove any clumps in the roux. In total, add 2-3 cups of milk. Add the cooked bacon and maple syrup at this point, stirring well.
5. If the gravy is too thick, add more milk. If you add too much milk and it becomes runny, just allow it to cook longer and reduce in volume to its desired thickness. Hold the gravy at a warm temperature for serving.

Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

• 2 eggs per serving
• Salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

1. Set aside a small bowl, preferably with straight vertical sides. Your pancakes must be equal to or smaller than the diameter of this bowl.
2. In another bowl, crack the eggs and whisk until homogenous. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then set aside while the pancakes cook.
3. Add a small amount of butter to a pan or griddle. Pour some pancake mixture onto the pan, according to the size of your bowl. You will need 3 equally sized pancakes. Try to cook on one large griddle or simultaneously on multiple pans so the dish is served warm.
4. Cook the pancake mixture until it bubbles on one side, then flip and continue to cook until browned on both sides and interior batter is cooked through.
5. Place one pancake in bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon gravy on top. Repeat three times for three pancakes with bacon gravy on top of each one.
6. Cook the scrambled eggs on the stovetop, then add on top of the pancake stack.
7. Garnish with a few pieces of chopped chili peppers, and serve with additional maple syrup on the side.

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