No deep-dish pizza for us! On our first trip to Chicago, we were all about the pancakes. (Okay, we were also kinda focused on sipping margaritas and downing ceviche and pulled pork sopes at Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill…) But sour mix and big-eye tuna can’t make a studio smell as good as warm butter and batter and toasted pecans swimming in maple syrup!

Jamie and I flipped (and ever-so-slightly-charred) butternut squash pancakes on WGN’s noon Lunchbreak broadcast and we’re pretty sure we’re on to something. Substituting pureed veggies (from an eco-friendly carton, mind you) for butter and oil is kind of genius. And, this time of year when everything is made with a base of cream and shredded cheddar, it’s nice to start the day of right. Or, at least squeeze in pancakes at lunchtime like we did.

Hmmmm, holiday hostesses and homecooks- Is matching your food cool or creepy? Anchor Deena and I look like a short stack of pancakes! So where’s our maple-butter sauce?