Beet & Beef Pancakes for baby led weaning
Our sweet baby is 8 months old today. Where is the time going?! This has been the fastest 8 months of my life. There are so many bittersweet milestones with young babies and it’s crazy how exciting new developments are but also a little sad to watch our babies grow so quickly right before our eyes. If I’m being honest, I miss those newborn cuddles but big gummy smiles and dimpled baby hands make up for it!
Our little girl has been eating solid foods for the past two months. I’m still a big fan of purees (which I know is a little unpopular these days with baby led weaning being the more practifcfal choice for most families). We still do our fair share of purees along with solid pieces of food for variety. As our baby is getting bigger and more developmentally able to eat a wider range of foods and textures I have been making these simple 2 or 3 ingredient pancakes often. These pancakes are held together with eggs and mixed with either a simple pureed veggie or a combination of a protein and veggie. This week we made hamburgers as a family and I kept a little of the ground beef to the side so I could make these pancakes for our little one. These little cakes are awesome for beginner eaters and I hope you all enjoy them too!
These are jam packed with essential vitamins and minerals to help young babies thrive. Beets are rich in folate, manganese, and copper which are all essential for growth and development. However, the beef is the rockstar ingredient. Even the federal government has gotten on board with the importance of beef for young growing children and for the first time ever has recommended feeding babies beef starting at 6 months old. It’s rich in iron (which does not get passed through breastmilk) zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, selenium, riboflavin, phosphorus, choline in addition to plenty of protein. The eggs that hold these together are also a powerhouse of an ingredient. Eggs are a wonderful source of some of the harder to get nutrients like vitamin D and B12. They’re also a great source of the essential mineral iodine. Eggs are a complete protein as they contain all essential amino acids.
Now that we know about the amazing ingredients in these little cakes- let’s get cooking!
Beet & Beef Pancakes
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES SERVES: 6 silver dollar size pancakes
1/3 cup pureed cooked beets (from about 1 small beet)
1/4 cup cooked ground beef (or bison, elk, lamb or venison)
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
dash of garlic powder
ghee for frying
Preparation
Use an immersion blender or small food processor to blend together all of the ingredients.
Heat a few tablespoons of ghee in a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Once warm drop the batter, by the heaping tablespoon (think silver dollar size) and cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes.
Use a thin metal spatula to carefully lift up a tiny corner of the pancake to make sure it’s browned up nicely. Gently flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Notes
Cooking times will very from kitchen to kitchen. Store extra pancakes in the fridge for 3 days.
