Savoury minced stuffed pancakes are a meal the whole family will enjoy. Tasty savoury mince rolled up in homemade pancakes, covered in a cheesy sauce, and baked in the oven. Make extra pancakes and have them for dessert - how's that for a time-saver?
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Stuffed pancakes
I love pancakes (or crepes if you live in the US) in any shape or form, sweet or
This recipe for
It's a delicious family meal. The softness of the pancakes and the cheesiness of the sauce tastes so good when mixed with the juicy meat sauce. When my children were younger they loved it, especially as I made extra pancakes and had them for dessert
If you make this dish you will need a baking dish large enough to either lay the pancake rolls in a single layer, or deep enough to take a double layer.
If you have any mince leftover after stuffing the pancakes you could use it to make these stuffed Yorkshire pudding pies.
Ingredients
There may seem to be a lot of steps and ingredients involved in this recipe, but you can multitask. So for example you could make the pancakes while the meat sauce is simmering. You can also make a lot of this ahead of time and keep it in the freezer. And if you break the ingredients down into each of the components, you will see there are only a few ingredients in each one.
If you follow my guide under
You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make stuffed pancakes on the printable recipe card below.
For the pancakes
The ingredients in this recipe will make 18 pancakes.
- Flour - you will need either self-raising flour or plain all-purpose flour. If you use plain flour you should add 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour.
- Eggs - you need 1 egg per cup of flour
- Milk and Water - you need 1 and a half cups of liquid for every cup of flour. I like to use a mixture of milk and water because I think it gives a lighter crepe.
- Salt - to taste. You can leave out the salt if you don't like to use it.
- You will also need about 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil for frying the pancakes.
For the savoury mince
- Ground beef - buy beef with a 5% fat content. I find if you use meat with a higher fat content the sauce tends to become greasy.
- Onions, Celery, Carrots - these should be chopped into a fine dice, 1cm or smaller if possible. You don't want large chunks of vegetables in this dish.
- Tomatoes - roughly chopped.
- Worcester Sauce, Tomato Puree, Fruit Chutney, Garlic, and Ginger for flavouring. I like to use my own homemade chutney for this recipe because it adds a hint of chilli and sweetness to the dish, but you could use your own favourite shop-bought brand.
- A beef stock cube - dissolved in one cup of boiling water
- Salt - optional
For the cheese sauce
- Milk - full fat or semi-skimmed is fine
- Butter - you can use brick margarine if you like, but butter gives a much creamier sauce
- Cornflour or cornstarch - for thickening
- Cheese - I like to use a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella because I like the stringiness of the mozzarella, but you can use your cheese of choice
- Salt - optional
Timings
This is a breakdown of the steps to make the different components for the cannelloni bake:
- Prepare and cook the savoury mince - this takes 30 minutes, but once it's simmering, you can make a start on the pancakes.
- Make the pancakes- these only take a couple of minutes to mix, but they take about 30 minutes to actually fry.
- Make the cheese sauce - 10 minutes
- Assemble and bake - 30 minutes
How to make savoury stuffed pancakes
Make the meat sauce
- Chop the onions, carrots and celery into approximately 1cm dice. Fry the vegetables with the ginger and garlic in one or two tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large frying pan until they start to soften. Use a frying pan that has a lid so you can cover the vegetables and let them sweat. They will cook faster this way - just keep the heat quite low so they don't burn (image 1).
- Add the ground beef to the vegetables and continue to fry, over a gentle heat, until the meat is no longer pink. Break it up with a spatula so it is all nicely separated (image 2).
- Chop the tomatoes and add them. Then add all the flavouring ingredients along with half of the prepared stock. Give it a good stir, cover it with a lid and leave it to simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Keep your eye on it and add the remaining stock if it seems to be drying out.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Note I have intentionally not included a lot of gravy in this recipe. Too much liquid will make the pancakes go soggy and they will be impossible to roll.
Make the pancakes
While the meat sauce is simmering, you can get on with making the pancakes.
- Put all the ingredients for the pancakes into a mixing bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix until there are no lumps left (images 1 and 2).
- I use a mixture of half milk and half water because I find it gives a lighter pancake but you could use all milk if you prefer.
- The ratio of flour to liquid is 1 and a half cups liquid per 1 cup of flour, but this can vary depending on the type of flour you use, and also on the size of the eggs, so don't tip in all the liquid at once.
- Add about ¾ of the liquid to start with and then gradually add the rest until you have a thin pouring consistency.
- Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes and then give it a final whisk before you use it.
- If you find the pancake batter has thickened on standing, add a splash more milk. You need a thin pouring consistency.
Fry the pancakes
- For making the pancakes, I have used my I used an electric crepe maker. I find it easier than using a frying pan on the stove because you don't need to adjust the heat and because it is non-stick you don't need any oil.
- If you don't have a crepe maker you can just use a non-stick frying pan and add a tiny drop of sunflower oil to the pan for each crepe.
- Heat your crepe maker.
- If you are using a frying pan heat the oil and swirl it around to coat the base of the pan. Pour out any excess oil.
Tip - put a small amount of oil in a cup and then use a teaspoon to add a couple of drops of oil to the frying pan before each pancake.
- Pour a small amount of batter onto the crepe maker or into the frying pan and swirl it around to coat the entire pan. The crepe will start to set immediately, so work quickly to make sure the base of the crepe maker/frying pan is covered with the batter.
- To make it easier to pour the batter into the pan, transfer the batter into a jug with a pouring lip, or use a soup ladle to transfer the batter to the pan.
- When bubbles form on the top of the pancake and it starts to come away at the edges it is ready to flip (image 3).
- It's probably easiest to use a spatula to do this, but if you are feeling brave you can flip it in the traditional way. I always end up with pancakes all over the floor if I attempt this.
- Allow the underside of the pancake to cook until it is lightly speckled (image 4)
- Stack the cooked pancakes on top of each other on a plate. Repeat until all the pancake batter has been used.
Make the cheese sauce
The final step before assembling the dish is to make the cheese sauce.
- I always make my cheese sauce in the microwave. It only takes a few minutes and it is guaranteed lump-free.
- Whisk the milk and cornflour/ cornstarch together to get rid of any lumps. Add the salt and butter. Place in the microwave and cook on full power for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the microwave - the butter should be melted and the edges of the sauce should be starting to thicken (image 1).
- Give it a good whisk and return to the microwave for another 2 minutes (image 2).
- If you find the sauce is too thick, you can whisk in a little more milk. If the sauce seems too runny then mix a small amount of cornflour/cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of milk, stir it through and give it another minute in the microwave. Do remember though that the sauce will thicken when the cheese is added.
- Remove from the microwave - whisk again and then stir in the cheese. Microwave for 1 minute more to melt the cheese. Give it a final whisk and you are done (image 3).
Assemble the dish
The meat should be sufficient to fill 12 pancakes.
- To assemble the dish you just need to roll the meat sauce in the pancakes and layer them in a baking dish.
- Place a small amount of cooled meat sauce on each pancake (image 1) and roll up to form a sausage shape.
- Spoon a thin layer of cheese sauce into the bottom of the dish first to ensure the pancakes do not become hard underneath while the dish is baking (image 2).
- Layer the rolled pancakes side by side. Cover each layer with cheese sauce (image 3).
- Finish off with a final layer of cheese sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese (image 4).
- I like to use a mixture of mature cheddar and mozzarella for this because the mozzarella gives a lovely chewy texture.
Note - I made a single layer of pancake rolls - if you make this in a dish deep enough to take a double layer of pancakes, add the cheese sauce between the layers.
Bake
- Bake in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Get organised (make the whole thing in 30 minutes)
If you added up the times for all the steps, you will probably have seen that this recipe takes over 100 minutes to make - which is a bit of a no-go for a weeknight.
If you are really
- Next time you are making a meat sauce, make a double batch. Serve half as a quick supper with rice or mashed potatoes and peas (try this recipe for bolognese sauce - this sauce would go well in the pancakes). Freeze the other half and when you are ready to use it just let it defrost in the fridge. You don't need to heat it before rolling it in the pancakes, it will heat up nicely in the oven while the cheese melts.
- Make the pancakes in advance and freeze them. Just layer them with greaseproof paper and freeze a Ziploc bag. Let them defrost on the countertop.
- The cheese sauce freezes really well in a plastic container. I always make a large batch of cheese sauce and freeze the leftovers. Just defrost it in the fridge or microwave. It comes in handy for all sorts of things - cauliflower cheese, homemade lasagne, and especially this stuffed pancake bake.
When you want to make this dish, just assemble all the defrosted ingredients as per the instructions above, cover with grated cheese and you are good to go. 10 minutes to assemble, 20 minutes to bake - on the table in 30 minutes.
Here's another handy tip - keep a bag of grated cheese in the freezer. It keeps well indefinitely. When you need grated cheese just grab a handful. You can mix different cheeses such as grated cheddar and mozzarella before freezing.
Extra pancakes for dessert
If you have extra pancakes left over you can serve them for dessert.
The traditional way of eating pancakes in England is to sprinkle them with sugar and drizzle them with lemon juice. In South Africa, they are sprinkled with a spoonful of cinnamon sugar and rolled up while still warm so that the sugar melts and soaks into the crepe.
If you want to put a bit more
Can I freeze stuffed pancakes?
Yes, all the individual components freeze well (see Get Organised above).
You can also freeze the assembled dish. Just wrap it, still in the baking dish, in plastic wrap and put it into a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
To bake, let it defrost in the fridge and then pop into a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dish is piping hot.
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📋The recipe
Savoury minced stuffed pancakes with meat sauce and cheese
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Crepe maker OR
- Frying Pan
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Glass bowl microwave-safe
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 2 cups / 280 grams Plain Flour
- 1½ cups / 360 ml Milk
- 1½ cups / 360 ml Water
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- Salt To taste
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil for frying the pancakes
For the savoury mince
- 1 lb / 450 grams ground beef
- 2 medium Onions (chopped into 1 cm dice)
- 2 medium Carrots (chopped into 1 cm dice0
- 1 large Stalk Celery (chopped into 1 cm dice)
- 4 medium Tomatoes (chopped into 1 cm dice)
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
- 2 Tablespoons Fruit Chutney
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon Ginger paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 beef stock cube dissolved in one cup of boiling water
For the cheese sauce
- 2 cups / 500 ml milk
- 3½ ounce / 100g Butter or margarine
- 2 Tablespoons Cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 cup Grated Cheese
- Salt to taste
Instructions
For the pancakes
- Place all the pancake ingredients into a mixing bowl.2 cups / 280 grams Plain Flour, 1½ cups / 360 ml Milk, 1½ cups / 360 ml Water, 2 large Eggs, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, Salt To taste
- Whisk until there are no lumps
- Allow to stand for about 10 minutes
- Pour a little pancake batter onto a preheated crepe maker. If you are using a frying pan, heat the pan, add a little oil to prevent sticking and pour a small amount of batter into the pan.
- Working quickly, swirl the batter around to coat the crepe maker / frying pan
- Allow to cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges of the pancake start to curl.
- Flip the pancake and cook on the other side until brown and speckled.
- Stake the cooked pancakes on a plate.
For the meat sauce
- Chop the onions, carrots and celery into 1 cm dice and fry gently with the garlic and ginger in a little sunflower oil until they start to soften.2 medium Onions (chopped into 1 cm dice), 2 medium Carrots (chopped into 1 cm dice0, 1 large Stalk Celery (chopped into 1 cm dice), 1 teaspoon Garlic paste, ½ teaspoon Ginger paste
- Add the ground beef and continue to fry until it is no longer pink. Break up with a spatula so the beef is all nicely separated and there are no lumps.1 lb / 450 grams ground beef
- Chop the tomatoes into 1 cm dice and add to the meat sauce with the rest of the ingredients. Only add half the prepared stock at this stage.4 medium Tomatoes (chopped into 1 cm dice), 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 3 Tablespoons Tomato Puree, 1 beef stock cube, 2 Tablespoons Fruit Chutney
- Stir and allow to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until the beef is cooked and the vegetables are soft. If the mixture dries out during this time, add the remaining stock. Don't let the mixture become too wet or it will be difficult to roll in the pancakes.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste.Salt to taste
- Allow the meat sauce to cool before assembling the dish.
For the cheese sauce
- Whisk the milk and cornflour/cornstarch together in a microwave proof bowl. Add salt and butter.2 cups / 500 ml milk, 3½ ounce / 100g Butter or margarine, 2 Tablespoons Cornflour / cornstarch, Salt to taste
- Microwave on high for 3 minutes
- Remove from microwave and whisk to combine.
- Return to microwave and cook on high for another 2 minutes
- Remove from microwave, add the cheese and mix through.1 cup Grated Cheese
- Return to microwave and cook on high for 1 minute until the cheese has melted.
Assembly and Baking
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F
- Spoon a thin layer of cheese sauce into the bottom of a baking dish
- Place a spoonful of cooled meat sauce across one pancake and roll up into a sausage shape.
- Layer in a baking dish.
- If you are making more than one layer of pancakes, spoon over another thin layer of cheese sauce before starting the next layer
- Cover the layers with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Place in a pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
- Mix the pancake batter and set aside to rest.
- Get the meat sauce cooking on the stove.
- While the sauce is simmering, fry the pancakes.
- As soon as the meat sauce is done, set it aside to cool.
- Make the cheese sauce
- Assemble the dish and bake.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Pearl Selby
Made this recipe with my grandson today and it was so easy to do..we both enjoyed the preparation and assembly of the dish and when we had it for tea it was absolutely delicious 😋 we will definitely be doing it again. Thankyou.
VJ
Oh, thank you. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it. It's one of my favourites too!
VJ
🙂 Thank you
Jan
Lovely recipes