Thursday, September 10, 2015

It's all About the Waffle

I love getting invited to a good party. The invitation itself is a gift, that's when the anticipation starts.

So when I received an email from Kim of the blog Feed Me, Seymour, I was pretty excited. She's always been passionate about waffle week but this year decided to invite some friends along for the ride. 


#WaffleWeek2015 hosted  by Kim @ Feed Me, Seymour: unique waffle recipes by 27 bloggers | www.BakingInATornado.com
 Graphic by Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Everyone was to come up with their own unique Waffle Recipe. So really it was a party AND a challenge. Yup, I'm in.

It's all About the Waffle: A number of bloggers each developed a new waffle recipe | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


But what to make? I have to admit that a few options went through my head, but ultimately I have to admit that the idea of Chicken and Waffles stuck. I believe initially it was a southern dish and although I'd heard of it, I'd never had it. Then this past fall, when out to breakfast while visiting my son PurDude at college, he ordered it. It sure did look good. I think the seeds of this recipe were planted in my mind then. But how to change it up and make it my own?

I decided to see if I could adapt my Cheddar Mac Squares into a waffle. Either it would be crunchy and gooey and delicious . . . or a huge mess . . . a recipe-fail blog post in the making. And since PurDude was home for the summer, I'll use my Honey Bunches Chicken, which he loves, as the chicken element. 

Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken


I love the nod to breakfast through the bacon bits in the mac and cheese waffle and the chicken coated with cereal. But really, this recipe could easily be breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Perfect.

I started by adapting my mac and cheese recipe to make into the waffle. I stuck it into the fridge while prepping the chicken.

Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken

Mac and Cheese Waffle Mixture


Just a note, the chicken could easily be made a day ahead of time and reheated for this meal.

Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken
Honey Bunches Chicken

Next was the moment of truth. Whether or not I could make the mac and cheese mixture into waffles.

Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken
Mac and Cheese mixture in the waffle iron
Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken

And I could! Mac and Cheese Waffle success! Guess I'll have to save that recipe-fail blog post for another day.


Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken
Mac and Cheese Waffles

Now just to plate with the chicken and serve with a side of Maple Syrup.

Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken
Mac and Cheese Waffles with Honey Bunches Chicken

Mac and Cheese Waffles and Honey Bunches Chicken: cruchy cheesy Macaroni and Cheese waffles with a hint of bacon, topped with Honey Bunches  crusted Chicken and drizzled with Maple Syrup | Recipe developed by BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #waffles #chicken
I know what I'll be making again.


Be sure to check out all of the other unique waffle recipes brought to the party. Hope you try them all:

Appet-affles
Breakf-affles
Waffl-ides
Dessert Dish-affles

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics




Mac and Cheese Waffles with Honey Bunches Chicken
                                                                        ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1# package of elbow macaroni
2 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
1/3 cup cooked bacon bits
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika

Honey Bunches Chicken, recipe HERE
Maple Syrup

Directions:
*Cook macaroni according to package directions. Rinse 2 or 3 times with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Drain well.
*Mix all the rest of the mac and cheese ingredients into the macaroni. Cover and pace in the fridge while preparing the chicken.
*Make the Honey Bunches Chicken either according to the recipe or by slicing the chicken breasts into 3 fingers instead of 3 chunks. You can make the sauce to serve over the chicken and waffles or just use maple syrup as I did.
*When you put the chicken into the oven, grease and heat your waffle iron. Spread a cup and a half of the mac and cheese mixture over the face of the waffle iron. These waffles will not spread so the size of the waffle going in will be the size of the waffle coming out.
*Close the waffle maker and allow to cook. They will take longer than a batter waffle. Mine took 6 - 7 minutes cooked on medium. They're done when you lift a small section and the bottom is brown and crusted.
*Remove the mac and cheese waffle from the iron by working your way around it with a heat safe spatula until it releases. Plate and keep warm while making the rest of the waffles. Be sure to grease and fully reheat your waffle iron each time.
*Serve the Mac and Cheese Waffles with the warm Honey Bunches Chicken and Maple Syrup.

34 comments:

  1. Genius!
    No need for the chicken, the Mac'n'Cheese Waffles alone look like something everybody around here might love!

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    1. They're a little tricky, you have to cook them well or they'll fall apart when you try to remove them but they are so worth the trouble!

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  2. I seriously had absolutely no idea. I am surprising the nine-year-old this evening :-)

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  3. What a wonderful creative idea....mac and cheese waffles....you are a cooking genius!!

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    1. Thank you. So glad to be a part of such a talented group.

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  4. Okay ... I may have just died and gone to heaven! This is comfort food to the tenth degree ... and I would totally eat an entire plate of it! Love your waffle for #WaffleWeek2015!

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    1. So many amazing recipes in this group I just don't know where to start.

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  5. Your waffles combine my 5-year old's favorite foods into one awesome creation! I might have to make these for her this weekend!

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  6. Replies
    1. Have I ever told you how much I respect your opinion? XO

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  7. Mac and Cheese cooked in to waffles is brilliant! They look great and I bet they taste amazing! Love this recipe!

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  8. You are a freaking magician! How in the world do you come up with these ideas? Amazing!

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  9. THIS IS AMAZING! I want this in my belly right now, forever and always.

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  10. Mac and cheese is one of my favorites, Karen...but in waffle form?? Wow, you've totally taken a classic comfort food to a whole new level!! I kinda want to eat this for breakfast right now. :-)

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  11. Yum - looks so good! I saved this recipe on Pinterest to test it out myself sometime.

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  12. Mac and cheese served up a new way? You bet!

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    Replies
    1. So much creativity in all of the recipes. This was such a fun group to be involved in.

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  13. I am just drooling big time over these mac and cheese waffles! AMAZING.

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  14. This is so fun!! I would have never thought to make mac and cheese into a waffle! So awesome.

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  15. You, my dear, are quite brave! Fabulous idea and I'm glad it was a smashing success.

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    1. Ha, I don't know about brave. If it hadn't worked out I would have made something different and no one would have known the difference.

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  16. Leave it to you to make waffles out of noodles! LOL great thinking and I know at least one of my boys who will be begging me to do this!

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    Replies
    1. It's kind of tricky but it sure is fun. And we loved this dinner.

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