Are hashtags still a thing in 2022? In a world where social media moves fast, it’s surprising that this 2007 trend is still running strong. But from the millions we see across Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, it’s clear hashtags are still hot. And if we had to come up with a few for this Stapleton staple, they might be along the lines of #PancakeRoyalty #WorthTheWait #SlayingTheBreakfastGame and #FamilyTime.
Chef Troy Guard’s HashTAG, located at the Eastbridge development of Central Park, has spacious booths to accommodate your morning slumps, a colorful yellow wall so you can wake up to the sun rising and brunch plates just begging to be posted on Instagram—with a # of course. The breakfast spot is, unfortunately, not a well-kept secret, so expect longer wait times on the weekend. But remember it’s #WorthTheWait. And while Guard loves all of his culinary creations equally, we weren’t afraid to pick favorites. December feels like the perfect time to indulge in a sweet stack of pancakes—the warm comfort food just hits better around the holidays (and you are as far from bathing suit season as you’re going to get). But the taste is just the start. Breakfast is a time to come together with family, break the night’s fast and begin the day surrounded by the people that matter most. Pancakes make your intention for the day clear: let’s have a good day, a happy day. Chef Guard shares his #FamilyTime that has amounted from this simply scrumptious stack.
“My wife Nikki, who also happens to be our beverage director at TAG Restaurant Group, and I are always trying to find ways to get more vegetables into our kids’ food. We have three kids at home and I’m sure any parent can relate to the daily struggle of feeding them healthy food they actually enjoy eating. A couple of years ago, just after Thanksgiving, we were making breakfast and we had all these leftover sweet potatoes we needed to use. We had the idea to mash them up, like you do when making banana pancakes, and the Sweet Potato Pancakes Stack was born.
“Since then, I’ve refined the recipe since into what you find on the menu at HashTAG, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone. The recipe is centered around some of my favorite holiday flavors like the richness of the sweet potato, which reminds me of the colder months. This version may not exactly be the most healthy breakfast that I make for my kids, but you’re still getting a nice serving of the superfood benefits of the sweet potato and it’s delicious.”
Backup—potatoes are superfoods? That’s right, the sweet potato is loaded with beta carotene, which acts as a strong antioxidant and a rich source of vitamin A. These nutrients help your immune system, skin, bones, eyes and may reduce your risk of cancer. Often confused with yams, sweet potatoes have smooth reddish or purple skin while yams have rough dark skin, almost like tree bark. You can also tell the two apart in taste—yams are more neutral while sweet potatoes are well … sweet. So, let’s start cooking!
HashTAG’s Sweet Potato Pancake
Yields: 8 pancakes
Ingredients
4 c AP flour
3 c buttermilk
½ c sweet potato puree
¼ c melted butter
splash vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
pinch baking powder
pinch baking soda
pinch sugar
handful crushed candied pecans
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too thick. Ladle four oz. of pancake batter on the griddle and cook for 40 seconds on each side. Stack the pancakes as high as you want and top with crushed candied pecans, whipped cream (recipe below) and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Whipped Cream
Ingredients
2 c cream
splash vanilla extract
pinch sugar
2 Tbsp mascarpone
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a mixer until firm peaks form. Place a dollop onto your stack.
