Breakfast for dinner: worked for you in your twenties; works for your kiddo in his/her twos. And, sure, you can always fall back on scrambled eggs when your kiddo blanches at whatever you serve and/or you don’t have the time or energy to make dinner, but why not make a breakfast that feels like dinner? Satisfying, yet slacker-ish. Nutritious, yet nourishing.
This one is just that–and just right for the occasion. It splits the difference between the first and last meals of the day: definitely eggy (in a quiche sort of way) but also savory and substantial, more pizza than omelet. And it’s got a vegetable lurking inside! Everyone wins here, especially dinner.
This broccoli-infused Dutch Baby pancake blends eggs and milk with a subtle vegetable twist to create a savory “breakfast-for-dinner” dish that works for your toddler and the whole family. Frozen broccoli (or a fresh crown) is pureed directly into the batter so the color stays mild and the texture stays soft. A small amount of flour and cornstarch creates a light, custard-like interior with golden, crisp edges. Optional cheese adds richness, while a spritz of lemon brightens everything up for little hands.
Can I use another vegetable instead of broccoli?
Yes — spinach, zucchini, or kale (lightly blanched) all blend smoothly and keep the Dutch Baby soft enough for toddlers.
Is this safe for infants?
Yes, with small adjustments: cut into very small pieces, reduce or omit cheese if needed, and skip lemon if citrus hasn’t been introduced.
Can I prepare this ahead of time?
You can blend the batter earlier in the day and refrigerate; let it come back to room temperature before baking. Leftovers can be sliced and refrigerated or frozen.
Preheat oven to 425.
Heat a small oven-proof skillet or sauté pan on Medium. Once hot, put butter and cook until brown and smelling nutty, roughly five minutes. Swirl the melted butter all around to coat the sides of the pan.
If it’s been more than a few minutes since you blended the egg mixture, blend again for 15-20 seconds; if adding cheese, pour roughly half of the blender’s contents into the pan with the butter, then sprinkle cheese throughout before pouring in rest of batter. (If not using cheese, just pour the whole thing in.)
Put pan to oven and cook until puffy at edges and browned throughout, roughly 18-20 minutes.
A spritz of lemon is really all this baby needs, especially if you’ve added cheese to batter. If your child is curious and/or skeptical about a big green pancake, though, one thing that worked very well for us the first few times making it was to cut and serve it like pizza: cut your child’s piece as a triangle, then sprinkle sauce and/or cheese over the top. They can pick up and eat like it’s a slice.
You can easily switch out the greenery here–say, kale or chard or spinach, or even zucchini. Make it more omlet-y by adding chopped ham and diced peppers when you pour the batter in. Or, heck, leave all the extras out altogether–a little powdered sugar and some berries on top after cooking is mighty fine, too.
Servings 8
Serving Size 1 slice
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
