Recipe: High Protein Pancake Muffins

The boys and I are back to school and our regular school time schedule is back in full swing. I'm up every day at 5:45am to get ready. Brennan is up at 6:15am because it takes him so long to wake up each morning. While he tries to wake up, I start breakfast which is served about 6:30am. Alex gets up, we eat, the boys get dressed, brush their teeth and we are out the door at 7:15am. Alex goes to our cousin's house two days a week and attends preschool three days a week. I pack a load of food for Alex to take to our cousin's house so I don't really care if he eats breakfast at home because I know he will graze the whole time he is there! When Alex is at preschool he eats a healthy snack at 9:30am and he eats lunch at 11:00am so again, I know he will have access to good food to fill his tummy. Brennan and I are a different story. Brennan eats lunch at 11:10am; that is a 4.5 hour gap between breakfast and lunch. I walk into my own classroom and I don't stop until noon. I may be able to sneak a quick snack in while the children are at recess, but even then that is rare because I am cleaning, pulling in book bags, answering emails, etc. I know that eating breakfast is vital, but nothing is sticking with us to keep us satisfied until lunch! I started making protein drinks for Brennan and I to sip on the drive to school. He has his drink finished around 7:40am so I feel better knowing that not only does he have a full belly from breakfast, but he also has a tummy full of 20g of protein drink made with low-fat milk. Now he only has a 3.5 hour gap between meals. He tells me he feels full and isn't hungry in the mornings so it must be working! Alex refuses to drink the protein drinks so that just leaves more for us!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a recipe for a high protein pancake muffin. I was skeptical at first thinking it must be filled with sugar or some type of additive, but I was pleasantly surprised with the ingredients. The nice thing about this recipe is you can change up the type of breakfast meat. For the batch I made I used maple sausage links and veggie bacon, but you could easily used crumbled sausage, pork bacon, diced ham, etc. The boys tore these "muffins" up!! They freeze very well so I've been able to cook these up in the morning for a quick, hot, healthy breakfast that is full of protein to fill the tummy. Best of all, they are so easy and fast to make! According to my friend who created this recipe, it is high protein based on the fact the liquid is limited and the protein from the greek yogurt, extra eggs and meat bulk it up.

Ingredients:
3 cups oat pancake mix (I used Quaker brand, but regular mix would still work, not as much protein)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
4 eggs
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
breakfast meat of your choice

Directions:
1. Mix the first five ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Line a mini-muffin pan (or regular sized muffin pan, your choice) with liners or spritz with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Fill the muffins 2/3 of a way full with pancake batter.
4. Place meat into each muffin tin.
5. Bake on 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until fully done.

Note on the meat: When I used the links, I sliced one link into fourths. I placed one piece in each mini-muffin and two pieces in each regular sized muffin. I pressed the links into the batter so the muffin would form around the meat, but you can just place the crumbed meat on top (some might sink into the batter, but some will stay on top).

A great big thank you to my friend Tonya for posting this recipe!! It is a new family favorite!