Southern Fried Chicken & Cheddar Bacon Waffles

After the long holiday weekend, it's back to the daily grind and getting into the routine once again. Hopefully you had a great weekend and for me, it was wonderful to have a few days to relax and recharge. I got my share of kitchen therapy and in doing so, I enjoyed trying out some new recipes on my boys. A few nights ago, we decided to switch things up by having breakfast for dinner, aka 'brinner.' My lil guy loves waffles for breakfast so rather than making traditional sweet waffles, we opted for savory ones. And what better to top a savory waffle than with good old fried chicken?! As a result, this Southern Fried Chicken and Cheddar Bacon Waffles made it to the dinner table. Sharp cheddar cheese, smoky crumbled bacon and fresh parsley were mixed into fluffy pancake batter before cooking up, then topped with crispy fried chicken tenders. Don't forget the maple syrup and butter on the side!...

For those nights I'm stuck on what to make for dinner, sometimes it just takes some creativity and thinking out of the box. Why not switch things up with having breakfast for dinner? When waffles came to mind, it dawned on me that waffles and fried chicken are a great combo. Savory waffles are just as good as their classic sweet counterpart and for this version, I added shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon. For a bit of color, chopped parsley did the trick. 

You can opt to use your favorite waffle recipe but to make it easier, consider a prepared waffle mix like Krusteaz! It saved me time and the recipe came out perfect without additional measuring. For the chicken, you can also use your favorite fried chicken recipe to pair with these savory waffles, but I've included my recipe for Southern Friday Chicken as well. Together, they are a wonderful pairing and be sure to have some real maple syrup and butter on hand for the traditional fixins'!

Southern Fried Chicken & Cheddar Bacon Waffles 

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4-6 thick waffles

Ingredients:

·         3 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
·         1 1/2 water
·         2 eggs
·         1/3 cup vegetable oil
·         1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon

·         1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
·         1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Southern Fried Chicken (tenders) or your favorite fried chicken recipe

Directions:

Heat waffle iron per manufacturer's instructions. Spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together waffle mix, chicken broth, egg, oil, bacon, cheese and parsley until fully combined. Set aside for 2-3 minutes while waffle iron heats up. 

When waffle iron is ready, pour 1/4 - 2/3 cup (depending on your waffle iron) of batter onto waffle iron. 

Allow waffles to cook 3-5 minutes or until golden brown (or based on your manufacturer's cooking instructions).

Serve with fried chicken on top along with maple syrup and butter if desired.