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Happy St. Patrick’s Day week!!!! If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I am obsessed with Ireland and that I studied abroad in Dublin for a semester of college. You can read about my other Ireland recipes and happenings here, here, and here. BUT for now let’s discuss these Irish Boxty Potato Pancakes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon, shall we?!
Is it weird that I don’t have any pancake recipes on the blog and the first pancake recipe I share with you are savory potato pancakes with warm Brussels sprouts and bacon and a tangy honey mustard sauce?! Is that strange?! It’s okay if you think it’s strange, I kind of agree. Traditional, sweet pancakes aren’t usually on my radar because sweet breakfasts don’t really do it for me. But THESE Irish Boxty Potato Pancakes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon I can totally get behind. Besides we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day here by making some Irish inspired pancakes made out of potatoes – plus there’s green on these pancakes! Look at us being all on top of our St. Patrick’s Day recipes!!!
When I am planning for St. Patrick’s Day recipes I refer to my beloved Irish Cookbook, I highly recommend it if you want to learn more about traditional Irish food and cooking. There is some great history and info about Ireland and their food in the front of the cookbook. I know that Americans have their green beer, green cupcakes with green frosting, and their corned beef and cabbage that they enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up eating corned beef and cabbage every St. Patrick’s day and loved every second of it – BUT corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually a traditional Irish recipe, it’s an American Irish dish. I never once saw it offered on a menu while I was in Ireland. Irish breakfast though were my favorite. They were hearty, mostly savory with the occasional scone or porridge with cream and a splash of Jameson Whiskey – No Joke – cause when in Ireland! You can read more about my love for the traditional Irish breakfast in this post. So , savory pancakes made from potatoes and seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with salty, smoky bacon seems fitting.
The way the batter for these Irish Boxty Potato Pancakes are made kind of feels wrong. You chop up some peeled russet potato and throw it in your food processor along with some cottage cheese, water, lemon juice, gluten free flour, a little water, and plenty of salt and pepper and you blend it all up until your reach a batter like consistency. I KNOW – blending up raw potato seems super crazy to me. BUT it works, trust me. The batter won’t be perfectly smooth, there will be little tiny chunks in the batter but once you cook them they become these fluffy, chewy, crispy, delightfully savory pancakes that you can’t get enough of! It’s like magic! The cool part about these pancakes is that the batter is super easy to work with, they flip easily without falling apart or flopping over – they turn into perfect little round pancakes. So, if you are a beginner to cooking and flipping pancakes, like I am, these are good ones to start with. You just have to get past the blending up the raw potato part, trust me, it will be okay!
Originally the cookbook called for some cooked cabbage on top of the pancakes but I am obsessed with the combo of Brussels sprouts and bacon! BEST decision ever because Brussels Sprouts and bacon forever!!!! THE END!
AND that honey mustard sauce. It’s the perfect compliment to all the savory flavors going on!
These Irish Boxty Potato Pancakes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon would be the perfect breakfast to make for a crowd, weather on St. Patrick’s day or any day of the year. And the pancakes are pretty good reheated in a skillet. ORRRRR you could make them for brunch because BRUNCH is the best! OOOOoooooooohhhhh if you wanted to be really cool you could serve these some Irish Coffee with these pancakes for your brunch. I mean you would have the COOLEST St. Patrick’s Day Party EVER and I am totally inviting myself – okay?!!!
I hope you enjoy these Irish Boxty Potato Pancakes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon as much as we did. If you are looking for more traditional Irish recipes check out my Irish Brown Soda Bread, Irish Beef and Guinness Stew, Apple Cinnamon and Barley Pudding, Leek, Potato, and Blue Cheese Soup (GF), and my Irish Coffee!!! I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day! Cheers!
Irish Boxty Potato Pancakes with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 8 to 10 pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Entree
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Description
Fluffy, tender potato pancakes stopped with warm shaved Brussels sprouts and crispy bacon. Plus there is a honey mustard sauce for drizzling. Perfect recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or for brunch parties!
Ingredients
- BOXTY POTATO PANCAKES
- 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used 4%)
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour
- 1/4 cup water
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper each
- 3 tablespoons butter
- BACON
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 8 slices bacon
- MUSTARD SAUCE
- 1/2 cup grainy mustard
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 to 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- BRUSSELS SPROUTS
- 4 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded*
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- MAKE BATTER FOR PANCAKES: Add all ingredients to a food processor. Process until mostly smooth, some small chunks of potato will remain but they will soften as they cook. The consistency should be runny, but slightly thick. Add more flour if you need to thicken the batter. This batter is very forgivable and easy to work with while cooking so don’t worry if the consistency isn’t exact.
- COOK THE PANCAKES: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Melt the butter. Measure out 1/4 cup of batter and pour it into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you can fit 2 to 3 pancakes at a time, or more if using a griddle. Allow them to cook until bubbles start to form and bottom side looks browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip them and cook another minute. Remove and place on a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm. Keep cooking until all of the batter is used up.
- COOK THE BACON: In a separate large skillet heat it over medium heat. You can cook the bacon while the pancakes are cooking. Place the bacon and cook 5 minutes per side, or until it has reached your desired texture. Remove and drain onto a paper towel. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
- MAKE THE MUSTARD SAUCE: In a small mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients. Taste and adjust flavorings as needed. I like my sauce tangy and heavy on the mustard side but feel free to add more honey if you prefer more sweetness. Set aside.
- COOK THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS: See notes for tips on how to shred the Brussels sprouts. Once the bacon is cooked remove most of the grease, reserving 2 tablespoons of grease. To the bacon pan add the Brussels sprouts. Saute, stirring occasionally until they are slightly wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- ASSEMBLE: Divide pancakes among plates. Top with the Brussels sprouts and the bacon. Serve with the mustard sauce for drizzling. Serve immediately. Store leftovers is separate containers. Pancakes are pretty good leftover and reheated gently in a pan, however they are best when fresh.
Notes
*You can shred Brussels sprouts a few ways. 1) keep whole and use a mandolin to carefully slice them. 2) cut off the stem and cut in half lengthwise. Place each half cut side down and cut into thin strips. 3) trim off the ends and slice in half lengthwise. Use the slicing blade on your food processor – this is my favorite method. I suggest avoiding the pre-shredded ones at the store, they are dried out and tough.
Recipe adapted from Irish Food and Cooking by Biddy White Lennon and Georgia Campbell.
Nutrition facts are calculated for 1 pancake plus toppings. I usually have 1 to 2.
Can’t wait to try these!
Let me know how you like them! 🙂
that looks yummy
Thank you! 🙂 Let me know how you like them!