The Meat-Filled Pancakes From The '50s We'd Honestly Still Make Today

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A lot has changed since the '50s, but pancakes as a breakfast staple have persevered through the decades. And, interestingly enough, so has Spam — the polarizing canned meat that people seem to either love or hate. A 1957 Betty Crocker cookbook brought the two together in a form of Spam-filled pancakes, and even though the recipe has largely stayed in the decade it originates from, we think it's worth giving it a shot today.

The process is super simple and only calls for two ingredients — a can of Classic Spam and a Bisquick Pancake and Baking Mix (though you can use another pancake mix or a homemade one, too). Cut the Spam into thin slices and brown them in the pan only on one side. Then, flip the slices, and pour the prepared pancake mix over them. Each slice of Spam should account for one pancake. Flip to quickly bake the other side of the pancake, and you're done!

There are other variations of this recipe. For example, you could dip the Spam into pancake batter and cook it like that, similar to dunking bacon in pancake batter. Another option is to layer the ingredients onto the pan slowly, starting with pancake batter, followed by Spam, and then some more batter. The final and simplest version is to chop the Spam into small cubes and add it directly to the pancake mix.

With so many delicious pancakes from around the world, of course, there are some curated especially for meat lovers. There is the Indian meaty potato pancake, known as potato chops. It's made from mashed potatoes, filled with minced meat, coated in eggs and breadcrumbs, then fried on both sides until satisfyingly crispy. The thick, corn-based Venezuelan arepas are often filled with meaty fillings, too — they are thicker than Colombian arepas, so they can be sliced in the middle and filled with any meat your heart desires. Chicken with avocado is a common choice, but you could also do minced beef, pulled pork, or various types of fish.

From Europe hails a recipe for meaty crêpes — Hortobágyi palacsinta, the Hungarian meat pancakes. These are saturated in a rich, hearty flavor of minced meat and the juice it was cooking in. Traditionally, Hortobágyi palacsinta is made with veal, but you could substitute it for any meat, as long as it's juicy — the meat is drained after cooking, stuffed into the crêpes, and then the leftover sauce is mixed with sour cream, thickened with flour, and poured over the pancakes.