Baking with your Traeger

With partner Rocky Mountain Ace Hardware stores

Most people think of grills and focus on cooking a couple things. Ok, really just one thing. Meat. Maybe some veggies. But mostly meat. 

What I’ve loved about getting to know my Traeger Grill from Rocky Mountain Ace Hardware stores is that it’s much more than a vessel for great BBQ. It’s a terrific wood-fired oven for all your cooking adventures. Have you ever thought of making a sweet breakfast on the Traeger? It’s one of our favorite things to do on a lazy Sunday morning, and it really displays the versatility of a Traeger. Additionally, it’s super fun to bake with a Traeger because it’s impressive to see the D2 system in action, where the temperature recovery on the unit is just amazing. The second generation of Traeger Grills that launched in March 2019 contains a brushless motor and D2 technology that lets the device respond rapidly to temperature changes. This makes it possible to open the grill to check your baking, without the fright of terrible temperature swings that can ruin your baked good. 

A perfect example and a great recipe for you to try is a Dutch Baby Pancake. Super simple, cooks quite fast, and is perfect on the grill. You can make Dutch Baby Pancakes a variety of ways—sweet or savory—and they are not just a great brunch meal. Make a savory one and top it with grilled meats (like turkey and cranberry sauce) or a salad with bacon. Sweet ones can be covered in chocolate and whipped cream, or fresh fruit and lemon curd. Either way, you’ll impress your guests and enjoy a tasty meal. 

Brown Butter Dutch Baby with fresh fruit and lemon curd

·  4 whole eggs

·  1 egg yolk

·  ¾ cup flour

·  ¾ cup milk

·  1 ½ tbsp sugar

·  ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

·  ½ tsp vanilla extract

·  Pinch of salt

·  4 tbsp unsalted butter

·  Toppings of your choice (we used fresh fruit and a premade lemon curd)

Preheat your Traeger grill to high (450*). Once the fire is established in the grill, place a 10-inch Dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet in the grill to heat up. 

In a blender or food processor, combine eggs, egg yolk, flour, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend for 2 minutes until well mixed and smooth. 

When grill has been running on high for about 10-15 minutes, open the barrel, and place the 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the hot pan. Close the lid and allow butter to fully melt and just begin to brown.

Using a hot mitt, swirl the butter briefly in the pan, and pour in pancake batter from blender. Close grill lid and allow it to return to 450*. Bake pancake for 20 minutes at high heat, checking once. The pancake should start creeping up the edges of the pan, but remain shiny in the middle. 

After 20 minutes, lower grill temperature to 300* and cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat. Cut pancake into wedges and serve immediately with the toppings of your choice.