White Girl Chicken and Waffles

I finally used up all the buttermilk!! Yayy!! Oh my God, though, this was AWESOME!!! I am definitely making this for dinner when Husband comes home! I was bored of making sweet waffles, so I thought I'd make them savory for dinner, and the first protein that came to mind was chicken! This whole recipe came from me tossing stuff together as I went, I didn't make myself any kind of plan, I just tossed things in as I felt like it! It was really really good!!

I made Maple Bacon Waffles, using my normal waffle recipe and adding to it, seared oven fried chicken, and Smashed Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans! Yummm!!

Here's how to get this in your belly tonight, because you know you want it!

For the Maple Bacon Waffles;

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prep, cooking time depends on your waffle iron.

4 slices meaty bacon, diced (Check the back when you're buying bacon so you can see if it's all fat or mostly meat. Meaty is yummier than fatty!!

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons Splenda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup apple sauce
3 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup (Don't use the kind made of high fructose corn syrup and maple flavoring. That's just not good for you, nor nearly as tasty as the real stuff!)

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-low to medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon becomes crispy, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the setting. Make sure you cook it low and slow. If you use too high heat, the fat won't render off, and your bacon will go from fatty to burnt. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Blot the top with another paper towel to remove the excess fat. You want the bacon nice and dry.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In another medium bowl, beat together the eggs and buttermilk. Stir in the applesauce and maple syrup. Add all at once to the flour and stir until moistened. The batter will still be lumpy. Gently stir in the bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish, so you don't break it up.

Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups batter onto the grids of a waffle iron coated with cooking spray. For this recipe, I only needed to add 1 cup, as opposed to the 1 1/4 I needed before. Make sure to add the batter to the middle of each grid, not the middle of the iron. Close lid quickly and keep closed until done. Bake according to the directions for your iron, as each different one takes a different amount of time to cook. When done, lift off the grid with a fork and repeat with the remaining batter.

If you want to freeze them for a later use, pull them out just before they are completely done. Place the waffles in a Ziplock bag, press out all the air, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pop the bag(s) into the freezer. Refrigerating them before freezing brings down the temperature slowly, decreasing the size of the ice crystals that will form. Big ice crystals will lead to mushy waffles, and no one wants that!!

When ready to serve, drizzle with a little more maple syrup and enjoy!

This recipe makes 10 to 12 waffles.

To pair these waffles with the amazing oven fried chicken;
This recipe taked about 15 minutes to prep and cook.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved diagonally through the middle
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup panko bread crunbs
1 teaspoon cornstarch
salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
cooking spray
100% pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Pour milk into a second small bowl. On a large plate, combine panko, cornstarch, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, then milk, then breadcrumbs. Set on a wire rack to dry slightly while you bread the remaining chicken and heat the pan.

Heat a large skillet coated with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides for two minutes, until golden brown. Before flipping, spray the top with more cooking spray so that side browns as well. If the handle of  your pan isn't oven safe, wrap in a couple of layers of foil. Place the skillet in the oven, and bake for 8 minutes, until cooked through.

Plate over waffles, if desired, and drizzle with maple syrup.

This recipe serves 4.

Care for a little veg with your chicken and waffles? Make my Roasted Potato and Green Bean Mash! Here's how;
This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook.

6 red potatoes, diced (You're leaving those delicious, nutrient-packed skins on, right??)
1 cup french cut green beans, thawed and patted dry
salt
pepper
cooking spray
1/2 to 1 cup fat free milk
freshly grated parmesan cheese
fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss potatoes with salt and pepper and lay on the baking sheet in an even layer, and spray the top with additional cooking spray. Toss the green beans with salt and pepper and lay in a single layer on a sprayed baking sheet, spray the tops with additional spray. Roast for 10 minutes, stir, and roast an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Puree the green beans with a little milk until smooth. In a large bowl, add potatoes and pureed beans, and mash with a masher (Or with a ladel, in my case!), or whip to desired consistancy. I like mine rather chunky, so I just work them with the bottom of a ladel. Season with salt and pepper and add in milk as needed. Spoon onto plates and top with cheese and basil.

This recipe serves 4.

Enjoy! This was a really taty meal!!