Last Updated on January 10, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Pancakes Huancaina – Spicy Cheese Savory Pancakes for Bread Bakers are made with a classic sauce from Peruvian cuisine. Salsa Huancaina which is so easy to put together with queso fresco. Savory Pancakes for Breakfast!
It’s time for Bread Bakers and this month’s host is Sue who went with the theme of cheese. Cheese in some way has to be included in the bread. How easy is that – I am a cheese lover, whether it is some grilled halloumi, some aged Parmesan or a creamy havarti. Just don’t come to me with those stinky cheeses – sorry no gorgonzola has ever been in my fridge!
Have you ever had Huancaina? Huancaina is a heavenly thick and creamy spicy Peruvian cheese sauce that comes together very quickly with a few simple ingredients and the primary ingredient is queso fresc0, South American fresh cheese. GET THE RECIPE!
This cheese sauce is used in the Peruvian version of Potato Salad called Papas Huancaina, where slices of chilled roasted potatoes are served with hard boiled eggs and Salsa Huancaina.
You can also just serve Salsa Huancaina with home made french fries for a snack.
Where I live in NYC, Peruvian food has gotten very popular with restaurant chains like Pio Pio. It is now very easy to find the pepper pastes like panca and aji amarillo which is commonly used in Peruvian cuisine. There are 2-3 mainstream brands found in many supermarkets that are easy to find like Inca foods. If it is not as easy to find in your area, there are many online sources where you can find these pepper pastes from amazon to smaller companies.
I ended up making two versions of these Pancakes Huancaina that include the Salsa Huancaina in the batter itself and then extra is ladled over the pancakes for extra cheesy goodness!
I had made it the first time for Papas Huancaina (Peruvian Potato Salad), which I made to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. She’s ok now, but had a health scare and plans to celebrate her birthday got all confused with different sections of the family. I have a HUGE extended family, which does not adapt well to last minute changes because there are just too many people to notify. Because of this, my Mom ended up having two birthday celebrations.
For one of the parties, I made a total fusion meal – Caribbean style Curry Chicken, Peruvian Papas Huancaina and German Sweet & Sour Cabbage. Both parties ended with her favorite Caribbean Black Cake (Fruitcake). This was the smaller party, so the menu was kept simple. However, my Mom is not a huge cheese sauce kind of person, so I had quite a bit of Salsa Huancaina left over.
I spent the night at her house after her birthday and decided to use the Salsa Huancaina in some breakfast savory pancakes because I knew that salsa would just sit idle there if I left it as is. I did not want to waste the delicious goodness. We had them for breakfast with fried sweet plantain and the breakfast was enjoyed by both my Mom and my sister! In this version, I made the pancakes with whole wheat flour. I was limited to the pantry supplies at her house.
But then somehow I had neglected to record the quantities of the ingredients. Don’t know how that happened. I was upset at first, but then oh well, that meant I would just have to make it all over again. These were so delicious I didn’t mind at all.
This time since I was home I used a combination of flour and masa harina. Both versions came out just as delicious and it’s a matter of preference which ones you want to try first!
Get the recipe for Salsa Huancaina and then you can put together these pancakes in short order!
Salsa Huancaina Notes
One note about the Salsa Huancaina. I made the sauce the day before so after being overnight in the refrigerator it had thickened quite a bit. If you make the pancakes with freshly made huancaina, you will most likely need to reduce the quantity of milk used in the pancake batter.
…so let’s get to how to make Pancakes Huancaina – Spicy Cheese Savory Pancakes for Bread Bakers
IN THE MAKING – HOW TO MAKE PANCAKES HUANCAINA
If you prefer a savory breakfast, these pancakes are the way to go!
I used tomatoes, but you can also garnish with some chopped avocados, if you prefer.
Pancakes Huancaina – Spicy Cheese Savory Pancakes for Bread Bakers
Ingredients
- 1 cup chilled salsa huancaina
- 1 egg
- 1 cup masa harina
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- a large pinch of salt
- 2 3/4 cups milk
- Garnish Ingredients:
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped avocados optional
- crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cold salsa huancaina and the egg. Whisk until well blended.
- Add masa, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk until well blended.
- Continue to add more milk as needed, until pancake consistency is achieved. SEE NOTE
- Heat a skillet and spray with non stick spray or brush with a little butter.
- Using a 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, fry pancakes until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Serve with more salsa huancaina drizzled on top.
- Garnish with chopped tomatoes or avocado and crumbled queso fresco.
Notes
Are you as much of a cheese fanatic as I? Then make sure to check out the other Cheese Breads the Bread Bakers whipped up this month!
- Brazilian Cheese Bread by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
- Buttermilk Cheddar Quick Bread by Food Above Gold
- Caramelized Onion and Cheese Bread by Ambrosia
- Cheddar Beer Bread Rolls by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Cheese Babka by Passion Kneaded
- Easy Cheesy Pull Apart Rolls by I Camp In My Kitchen
- Irish Cheddar Scone with Scallions by Baking Sense
- Mexican Cornbread Waffles by Food Lust People Love
- Mini Chilli Cheese Parathas by Sizzling Tastebuds
- Pancakes Huancaina by The Schizo Chef
- Spicy Cheese Bread by Gayathri’s Cook Spot
- Stuffed Mini Cheese Chicken Burger Buns by Sneha’s Recipe
- Wholemeal Cheese Bombs by Cook with Renu
- Vanilla-Mascarpone Popovers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Ready to make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @chefmireille #theschizochef with your pics!
I have never heard of this cheese sauce but it sound delicious. I like that you used it in the pancakes.
oh salsa huancaina is heavenly – You should definitely try it out!
Wow this sounds wonderful! Cheese in the pancakes and on the pancakes! I’m seriously trying this.
that sauce is so new to me , Mir ! but trust you to bring global cuisine to us on your blog !! the pancakes are inviting as I prefer a savoury breakfast to a sweet one … !
then you should definitely try it and if you don’t have queso fresco I think a soft paneer can probably be substituted
This looks deliciously yum . The sauce is very new to me, but it looks so so inviting. Love savory pancakes.
I am sure you will love this version!