Hearty and filling Cornbread Waffle and Pancake Mix

Happy Monday! My boys start back to school (tee hee for me)this week. I'm taking them to meet their teachers this morning and planning my well deserved mom break. First however we are hitting the kitchen to start in on some breakfast. In honor of school in general we are going to have a full week of whole food back to school ideas for moms, dads, grannies, and basically anyone who is on the run at any time. So...I think that covers anyone without kids who may just want a quick "grab and go" item to take on the run. I will be going back through my previous posts and changing some of the tags so these items are easier to find (under the tag "grab-n-go") . In the meantime here are a few that are amazing ideas from the past.

toaster waffles

hot pockets

pizza bites

Stuffed breadsticks
stuffed pretzels

Kids cooking (things you can make with the kids for the lunches)

Today for Mix Monday I thought we'd make one of my favorite mixes for a nice hearty breakfast on the go. I love cornbread. I do. I should have been born in the South for how much I love corn in general. I've found that adding cornmeal to my waffles and pancakes makes the meal take longer to digest and keeps me and the kiddos full longer. I rarely hear that they where starving by lunch. That's a good way to keep them focused on their studies instead of their stomachs.

Tess' Cornmeal Waffle and Pancake Mix

4 cups cornmeal

4 cups whole wheat flour (I use fresh milled soft wheat)

1/2 cup sugar or granulated fructose

1/3 cup baking powder

1T salt

1 cup nonfat milk powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients.

To cook:

Combine 2 cups mix with 1 cup water for waffles. Pancakes: 2 cups mix and 1 1/4 cup water (more or less for thicker or thinner pancakes).

Flavor variations:

Bacon green onion and cheese:

1/2 cup each pepper jack cheese, green onion, bacon

Combine with liquid.

Cook on a hot skillet or waffle iron.

We like to make the pancakes or waffles and freezer them. When toasted they are amazing with a little Homemade cream cheese. Add to that some Peach Mango Jalapeno Jam and you will be in a very happy place.

Another flavor we adore, along with the rest of the country, is peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Cornmeal Waffle and Pancake Mix

2 cups cornmeal pancake mix (above)

3T natural creamy peanut butter

Combine peanut butter with cornmeal mix using a wire whisk or a pastry cutter until pea size pieces are mixed throughout you dry mix. You may also add mini chocolate chips if desired.
Add 1 cup water or soy milk (more or less depending on how thick you want your batter). Cook on a hot skillet.
We drizzle ours with dark Arizona mesquite honey, but they are also darn amazing with jam or strawberry sauce.

My personal flavor favorite is this unique combination of bananas, buttermilk and basil with a lot of hearty nuts and flavor.

Banana Basil Nut

2 cups cornbread waffle mix

Add to dry ingredients

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup minced almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

wet ingredients (instead of water):

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Cook on a hot skillet or well oiled waffle iron.

Drizzle with pineapple syrup orPeach Mango Bavarian Cream Jam or Sugar Free Classic Orange Marmalade with Vanilla Bean .

Look for more wonderful back to school ideas ths week here on Chef Tess Bakeresse! Tell you friends. I always love new visitors.

There you go. Stock the freezer for school or work...or whatever you need. Smoooches!