Weekend mornings are the perfect opportunity to do things a little slower – to let your little Rangers sleep in past the break of dawn, to read the paper, and to sit around the table as a family for a hearty homemade breakfast.

Pancakes were made for lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings, but many versions can leave everyone feeling a little too lazy the rest of the day. When made with white flour and doused with maple syrup, all the simple carbohydrates cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, zapping your and your Rangers’ energy.

To keep everyone firing at full speed and ready to take on any obstacles that arise throughout the day like their favorite TV heroes, we like to power up our pancakes with protein and whole grains. This version combines wholesome rolled oats, cottage cheese, eggs, and a touch of cinnamon to spice things up. They are completely customizable based on personal preference, so involve the whole family and set up a pancake bar with a variety of fun fruits and toppings like bananas, blueberries, sliced almonds, even applesauce!

We like ours topped with Red Ranger Jam, but the possibilities are endless!

Power Pancakes

Makes 12 pancakes

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 3-4 teaspoons butter (to grease the pan)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Combine eggs, oats, cottage cheese, cinnamon, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth and all ingredients are well-combined.

Melt one teaspoon of butter in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Use a spatula to spread the butter across the pan so the entire surface is coated. Make sure it’s sizzling before you add the batter.

To make sure the pancakes cook evenly, it’s important not to overcrowd the pan. We recommend making just 3-4 at a time. For each pancake, spoon two tablespoons of batter into the pan, using the back of the spoon to gently form a round, approximately two-inch-wide, disk.

Let pancakes cook for approximately 2 minutes (you’ll see the edges start to spring up slightly from the pan, indicating that they have set enough for you to flip), then use your spatula to gently ease them over. Cook for another 1-2 minutes more.

Once done, transfer pancakes to a baking sheet or oven-safe platter and keep warm in the oven while preparing the rest of the pancakes. Repeat process with the remaining butter and batter until all 12 pancakes are ready. Serve immediately with toppings of choice.

Nutrition Information:

(Serving size: 3 pancakes)

Calories: 256

Total Fat: 11.2 grams

Saturated Fat: 4.7 grams

Total Carbohydrates: 19.9 grams

Dietary Fiber: 2.6 grams

Sugar: 0.7 grams

Protein: 18.8 grams