Whole Grain Savory Cheddar Cornmeal Waffles

This is another one of those things I was going to save to share probably next week, but I just couldn’t wait to share with you because they were so good.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a savory waffle before and I don’t even know where the idea came from, but it’s a delicious one.  I cannot wait to have these again.  Look at that crispy cheese on the edge… You can bet it took all my willpower not to touch that before I took all my pictures 😀

I served these with my Vegetarian Quinoa Chili but any kind of chili over top would be delicious.  These would be awesome served with baked beans for dinner, or even just with a little butter and a fried egg over top for breakfast.

I can’t believe I’ve never put cornmeal in waffles before.  It makes them a little extra crunchy and delicious.  I don’t consider myself a huge fan of waffles, but I can’t wait to do a sweet version.

I will say though(and I’ve put a note in the recipe) that if you’re watching calories you’re better off omitting the cheese in the waffles if you’re topping them with something like chili, that you put cheese on top of anyways.  I don’t count calories, but if I did, I’d save my calories for the cheese on top, but if you’re making these just to enjoy on their own or with milder flavored toppings, please add the cheese.  They are amazing with cheese, and smell incredible from the waffle iron too!

Just a quick note, I did get the message that quite a few of you would like more kid friendly recipes.  When I first started my blog I wanted to post a lot of kid friendly recipes, but then I realized that my kids just eat what we eat.  They don’t get anything fancy or particularly “kid-like” meals or dishes and they never get a separate meal of their own.  I love the idea of  cute, kid-specific recipes and meal ideas, but for the most part it’s not something I do on a regular basis.

So instead, I think I’ll just start adding a picture of how I would serve some dishes to my kids.  In this case, I cut the waffles into strips and gave them each one strip to start(even though they ate more) along with a little bowl of chili with their regular toppings.  I think a waffle with chili on it would be a little difficult for my 4 year old to eat, let alone my 2 year old, but this way they can do it themselves and use the waffle to dip into their chili.  Or they can do like my son does and rip the waffle(or cornbread if that’s what we’re having) up over top his chili and eat with a spoon.

[print_this]Whole Grain Savory Cheddar Cornmeal Waffles

Makes 16-18

• 1 1/4 C whole wheat flour(I used regular whole wheat flour from hard wheat)
• 1 1/2 C cornmeal
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 C buttermilk(or 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and then milk to fill up to 1 3/4C)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 C grated cheddar cheese(or omit and add 2 tbsp extra butter

Preheat your waffle iron.  In a large bowl mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup, and butter.  If using, stir the cheese into the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients and mix very well.  Cook according to the directions for your waffle iron and serve immediately or cool on a wire rack.  These waffles can be stored after they’ve cooled completely, either on the counter in a sealed bag for a few days or they can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed bag.  They can be reheated easily in a toaster, even from frozen.

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