Cottage Cheese Is The Star Of These 3 Ingredient Protein Packed Pancakes

It's a tale as old as bedtime. You should probably eat something when you wake up in the morning. But this isn't "The Brady Bunch," and most of us can't linger around the kitchen table for multi-course breakfasts every day, even as cereal and yogurt become routine. So, with just three ingredients and a quick turn on the stovetop, these cottage cheese pancakes split the difference between a quick bite and all-a.m. feast.

Standard pancakes typically call for flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs and butter, or a pancake mix that approximates most of those ingredients. Not only does this version reduce that list by more than half, it packs a punch of protein thanks to the cottage cheese. And, if you've been missing out on cottage cheese and all of its myriad applications based on its texture alone, those sometimes pesky curds get smoothed away via your blender or food processor.

The proportions here are forgiving in terms of desired texture and ultimate serving size, but you'll more or less want equal amounts of cottage cheese, eggs, and rolled or old fashioned oats (which are interchangeable). Start small until you know what to expect. Add a half cup of cottage cheese, half cup of rolled oats, and two large eggs (which, at two ounces each, come out to a half cup) to the pulverizing appliance of your choice. Blend any lumps out into an even batter. Heat a lightly oiled skillet to medium and pour or ladle into sizes you can adequately manage with a spatula. Start checking for doneness when the edges appear to set, then flip to finish. It helps to work with a timer to eliminate any guesswork next time.

Top your pancakes as you would with any other, with butter and maple syrup or a homemade syrup alternative, or add fruit for a fresh pick-me-up or sweets like Nutella for a treat. You can even go a little more savory, as these neutrally-flavored pancakes are conducive to all kinds of pairings.