Tuesday is “waffle night” at my house, or so I like to call it. In reality, it is “chicken night,” but I try to de-emphasize the presence of protein with a casual omission of information.
The waffle is my Trojan horse.
Camouflaging my household’s forbidden ingredient with a beloved sweet and fluffy breakfast item that comes topped with a generous handful of fresh berries and a few tastefully placed chicken nuggets or breaded cutlet strips. All the food groups are covered in a generous dollop of sticky syrup.
Waffles make an ordinary Tuesday evening feel like an occasion, which makes sense because the history of the pressed breakfast is one of celebration. The first evidence of cooking batter between two hot plates or stones dates back to Ancient Greece. From there, the concept traveled into Western Europe, where, in the 16th century, the Dutch began elevating the waffle by creating metal plates that made elaborate patterns of religious significance.
Enjoyed at church fairs and religious celebrations, the waffle moved across Europe and then across the pond to North America in the 18th century. In the 19th century, with the invention of the stove-top waffle iron, the waffle moved from fairgrounds to the family kitchen table. In the 20th century, electric waffle irons and premade frozen waffles made the breakfast treat a household staple.
For the Floofs in my house, the prospect of making homemade waffles together is a reliable bribe that will ensure compliance with almost any undesirable request.
My quick and painless recipe below requires few ingredients and only five minutes of grown-up attention at the waffle iron. Rolling your eyes at the prospect of making homemade waffles on an average Tuesday? Fear not. My household is just as enthusiastic for a toasted Eggo and a handful of frozen chicken fingers – especially with extra syrup. Treat yo’self.
Want to be a weeknight dinner hero? Here is my recipe for the hot off the iron good stuff. Want to be even more epic? Throw a handful of colorful fruits or veggies into a blender to dye your batter a fun and unexpected hue.
The Lady’s Chicken + Waffles
Ingredients:
- 2 Eggs
- 2 TSP Baking powder
- 2 TBSP Granulated Sugar
- ¼ TSP Salt
- 1 TSP Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
- 1 Cup Milk – Any milk will do. I typically use almond milk because it is everyone’s favorite here.
It’s optional but fun! Add one cup of colorful fruit or vegetable to dye the waffle batter. Pulse the fruit or vegetable in the blender to create a puree. I’ve used blueberries, beets, and sweet potatoes for blue, red, or orange waffles.
Instructions:
Step 1: Dump all ingredients into a bowl. With a whisk, mix ingredients together into a batter. If fruit or veggie puree is added to the batter, fold that in now.
Step 2: Follow your waffle iron instructions to press your batter into fluffy, delicious waffles. My waffle iron takes a half cup of batter to make 5-6 waffles from the batter in minutes!
Step 3: Top with your choice of syrup, yogurt, fruit, chicken fingers, or chicken cutlet strips. There are no mistakes.
