While you may be looking forward to Christmas coming soon, we have another holiday you should celebrate in the Smokies: National Maple Syrup Day on December 17! Another one of those off-the-wall holidays made up over time, it’s one that is perfectly suited to the Great Smoky Mountains. Pigeon Forge (and neighboring Gatlinburg and Sevierville) is known for more than mountains, moonshine, and music. It’s also known for its pancake houses! Start your day right with a hearty breakfast – complete with plenty of maple syrup – at one of the many great breakfast places in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Check out some top breakfast spots for National Maple Syrup Day below, and keep scrolling for a few maple syrup recipes you can try making your Pigeon Forge, TN cabin’s fully equipped kitchen!
Sawyer’s Farmhouse Breakfast
2831 Parkway
Smoky’s Pancake Cabin
4235 Parkway
Red Rooster Pancake House
3215 Parkway
Lil Black Bear Café
3068 Veterans Blvd
Flapjack’s Pancake Cabin
2734 Parkway
Mama’s Farmhouse
208 Pickel St
The Old Mill Restaurant
164 Old Mill Ave
Brick and Spoon
136 Community Center Dr
Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
240 Apple Valley Rd
Applewood Farmhouse Grill
220 Apple Valley Rd
Mel’s Classic Diner
119 Wears Valley Rd
Five Oaks Farm Kitchen
1638 Parkway
MAPLE SYRUP RECIPES FOR YOUR PIGEON FORGE, TN CABIN
Cider & Maple Roasted Pork Belly | Food Network
Maple syrup isn’t just for breakfast! Enjoy a twist on this ingredient in this savory dish.
Ingredients
Lynn Crawford’s Spice Blend
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp pink peppercorns
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
1 whole clove
2 Tbsp salt
½ Tbsp black pepper
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
Pork Belly
2 lb(s) pork belly
3 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
3 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
1 large honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into 1″ slices
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1″ slices
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup unfiltered apple cider
½ cup maple syrup, grade B
Directions
Lynn Crawford’s Spice Blend
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). In a sauté pan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds and clove for a few minutes, until fragrant. Grind the spices together and place in a small bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice.
Pork Belly
- Score the skin of the pork belly with a sharp knife. Rub the belly all over with spice blend, thyme, and rosemary, getting the seasonings into the cracks.
- Layer the apples and onions in a roasting pan, then place the pork belly skin side up on top. Pour the chicken stock, apple cider, and maple syrup into the pan. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 1 hour. Turn the oven down to 350°F (180°C), remove the foil, and cook for another hour, or until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.
- Remove the pork belly from the pan and remove the crackling from the pork before carving. Add the apples, onions, and cooking liquid into a blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a strainer into a serving bowl. Carve the pork belly and serve with applesauce.
Maple Cinnamon Rolls | Food Network
Fill your Pigeon Forge cabin with the smell of fresh-baked goodies with this sweet maple syrup recipe.
Ingredients
Dough
¾ cup warm milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp + 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple extract
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
Filling
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
Glaze
¼ cup butter
¼ cup 35% cream
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar
Directions
Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine warm milk, yeast and 1 tsp brown sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes until the mixture is frothy.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, remaining sugar, salt and cinnamon. To the yeast mixture add the egg, butter and maple extract. Mix well to combine.
- Add flour mixture to yeast mixture. Mix well until dough is smooth and pulls cleanly away from the bottom and sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Filling
- While the dough is rising, make the filling. In a small bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, salt and melted butter.
- After an hour, punch down dough. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into an 18 x 12-in. rectangle. Spread filling mixture evenly over dough. With the long edge facing you, tightly roll up dough in jelly roll fashion. Cut roll crosswise into 12 equal sized pieces. Place rolls in a lightly oiled 12-in cast iron pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove damp cloth and bake until golden brown and baked through, about 30-45 minutes.
Glaze
- In a small pot over medium heat combine all glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until glaze is sticky and thickened. Pour over warm rolls.
