Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

SRC: Loaded Cornbread Waffles

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that’s easy to make at home. You’ll be sure to love it!

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

I can’t believe I’m writing my LAST Secret Recipe Club post! So sad. But I’m glad the club is going out on a good note…it was a good run, guys! And this month, I had a GREAT SRC assignment. I was assigned to choose and make a recipe from April’s blog, Home Sweet Homestead. April lives in the great state of Indiana [YAY I still love Indiana even though I now live in Tennessee]. She always is making lots of delicious recipes that her carnivore husband loves while still accomodating her food allergies. I’m always impressed by her creativity and innovation in the kitchen. It was hard to narrow down the list, but I eventually decided to choose between the following: Swedish Meatballs, Fish & Chips, Peanut Butter Quinoa Protein Balls, Chicken Fried Chicken, Apple Pie Breakfast Quinoa, or Loaded Cornbread Waffles. I think by the title of this post you can figure out what recipe I chose, but MAN was it hard to decide. I guess I had frying things [even though I rarely do that] and quinoa on the brain when I browsed her blog… and I chose neither, ha.

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

For those of you who know me, you know I’m a breakfast fiend so when I saw loaded waffles I said, “sign me up!” April’s original recipe is gluten and egg-free, but I just used my regular all-purpose flour and an egg because that’s what I had on hand. I’m sure the original recipe is wonderful too! It’s been a long time since I’ve made waffles so I was glad to dust off my waffle iron for this delectable meal! It is absolutely perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. No matter when you serve it, everyone is bound to enjoy this savory take on waffles. [Unless you don’t let them, like poor #BabyVolde below.]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM_3wzvAdMr/

There is so much good stuff in and on these cornbread waffles. Though loaded dishes are super popular at restaurants, I rarely order them because usually the base [fries, tortilla chips, potato soup, etc.] is soggy and/or bland and the dish itself isn’t very healthy. While I won’t say this is the healthiesbreakfast or brunch on the planet, it’s better than some–and these waffles are certainly NOT bland or soggy. 🙂

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

The waffles are filled with peppers, onions, cheese, and garlic and are the crispiest, heartiest waffles I’ve ever made at home! That’s the cornmeal for you! They truly DO deserve that cornbread title. These aren’t cornmeal waffles; they are cornbread in waffle form. Yum. In terms of toppings, I took a slightly different route than April–I added some ground sausage and a fried egg to the mix. But don’t forget April’s fresh toppings! These waffles wouldn’t be the same without the creamy avocado spread, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, or sour cream. I suggest using all these toppings but feel free to use what your family will enjoy. 🙂 No matter how you make them, they are sure to be great!

Cornbread waffles filled with cheese, peppers, and onions are loaded with sausage, tomatoes, a creamy avocado spread, and a fried egg for an impressive brunch like no other! This is a fantastic restaurant-worthy dish that's easy to make at home. You'll be sure to love it! #secretrecipeclub

Thanks, April, for a great recipe. And thank you to everyone who has been a part of the Secret Recipe Club–it’s been fun and tasty, guys! 🙂 I’ll miss checking out posts every Monday but look forward to other blogging events in the future.

one year ago: Simple Teriyaki Chicken
two years ago: Chaider
three years ago: Pizza Frittata 
four years ago: Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta 
five years ago: Honey Whole Wheat English Muffins
six years ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Loaded Cornbread Waffles

  • Servings: 3
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adapted from Home Sweet Homestead

Ingredients:

for avocado spread

  • 1 avocado
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
  • juice of 1/2 a lime
  • salt

for waffles and toppings

  • 1/3 to 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1/2 bell pepper – approximately 3/4 cup, finely diced
  • 1/4 onion – approximately 1/4 cup, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • chopped tomato, for topping
  • cilantro, for topping
  • sour cream, for topping
  • 1 egg per person, for topping
  • shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Directions:

In a bowl, mash avocado. Mix in cilantro, lime juice, and a sprinkle of salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a large skillet, brown ground sausage. You’ll only need about 1/3 pound for 3 servings, but you could make a whole pound and have leftovers–this is what I did!

When cooked through, remove sausage to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet, add peppers, onions, and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.

Meanwhile, prepare waffle batter. In a medium bowl, stir togehter flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, cheese, egg, and butter. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently to combine. Fold in softened vegetables and a healthy amount of freshly ground black pepper. Batter should be thick but still able to be poured, so add a little extra milk if its too thick. I ended up adding a bit TOO much milk so I had to add another tablespoon of cornmeal too.

Cook batter in your waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions, until crisp and golden brown. Batter should yield about 3 waffles.

While waffles are cooking, fry one egg per person using, you guessed it, the same skillet as before! Scrambled eggs would also be delicious–or no eggs too if that’s what you prefer.

Top each waffle with a smear of avocado spread, sausage, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a fried egg. Enjoy!


Be sure to check out all the other SRC recipes linked up today below!

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Honey Cornbread | thepajamachef.com
Breads, Recipes

Honey Cornbread

This cornbread is sweet, delicious, and honey-scented. You’ll want to make batch after batch to enjoy with your favorite soups and chilis this fall!

Honey Cornbread | thepajamachef.com

There’s nothing better than a warm slice of sweet cornbread! This easy recipe is my absolute favorite cornbread out there. It’s perfect with any dish, but I especially love it with my potato soup. Eating a slice hot out of the oven, slathered with butter and honey, is an experience unlike any other. Mmmm, I can almost taste it now. 🙂 I have no idea how many times I’ve made this recipe for a potluck or dinner with friends, but whenever I do, I always have to suppress the urge to hide a few slices away so I make sure I can have a few pieces leftover for breakfast. I can guarantee that when you take some to a group gathering you’ll be bringing home an empty pan! So you probably shouldn’t steal some from your friends, even though you might want to because it is that good.

Honey Cornbread | thepajamachef.com

The reason this cornbread is so darn delicious is that it’s cake-like. It’s moist and fluffy at the same time… utterly delicious! Even though it makes a huge pan, don’t think about halving the recipe. When I make this, if there’s any doubt that we won’t finish it in a few days, I just freeze individual slices in sandwich bags. Then I can easily throw a slice in my lunch when I’m taking some leftover soup and I can be a very happy camper at lunchtime! Enjoy!

four year ago: Tropical Granola

Honey Cornbread

  • Servings: 20
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from Money Saving Mom

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 2 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13 or 11×14 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Cream together sugar and butter. A stand or hand mixer works great, but so does a wooden spon. Add eggs, honey, and milk, then mix well. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and cornmeal. Fold dry ingredinets into the wet ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix–batter will be lumpy. Transfer to prepared pan, then bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm with butter, honey, and your favorite soup.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friends Friday.

Appetizers, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Baked Cauli-Tots [Two Ways]

These cauli-tots are cheesy and crunchy, the perfect appetizer or side dish! Make them with cauliflower and add in some yellow squash or zucchini if desired! 

Baked Cauli-Tots [Two Ways] | thepajamachef.com

Before last month, I don’t think I have ever purchased a head of cauliflower in my life. I eat it, sure. It was a constant staple in the holiday vegetable tray throughout my childhood. If it’s on a salad bar, I’ll have some. If it’s in the mixed veggies of the day at a restaurant, same deal. But I don’t really buy it. Oh wait! I have purchased cauliflower once, to make fakeout alfredo sauce. Ben wasn’t fooled–this recipe is much better. But anyways, you get the gist. Cauliflower and I aren’t BFFs, not really. More like acquaintances of convenience or chance. Until NOW [mwahahaha, sorry Benjamin].

Baked Cauli-Tots [Two Ways] | thepajamachef.com

I’m not sure what convinced me to buy cauliflower this time, except that it was on sale. After much deliberation about what to make, I was in the kitchen whipping up these cute little tots. They are cheesy with the perfect crunchy shell. Since my initial foray into caul-tot making, I’ve messed around with the recipe a bit, adding some fresh herbs and even subbing out some of the cauliflower for yellow squash or zucchini. These little tots are addictive and are a great way to sneak in some extra veggies to a meal!

Baked Cauli-Tots [Two Ways] | thepajamachef.com

I can’t wait to experiment with more flavor combos with these tots… different cheeses, different herbs, different spices… I can’t wait! #sendhelptoBen Apparently, they freeze well too, but my batches haven’t lasted long enough to try that! My leftovers made an excellent lunch. Hope you enjoy!

one year ago: Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce
two years ago: Summery Squash and Chicken Lasagna
three years ago: Kale Frittata for Two
four years ago: Jambalaya 

Baked Cauli-Tots Two Ways

  • Servings: 2-4
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adapted from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups packed shredded cauliflower, water squeezed out with a kitchen towel [I use the shredding blade on my food processor. You can use the stems as well as florets.] – this is about half a head of cauliflower
    • If desired, you can make these squash-cauli tots by REDUCING the shredded cauliflower to 2 1/2 cups and ADDING 1 small shredded yellow squash or zucchini, water squeezed out with a kitchen towel [approximately 1 1/4 cups squash]
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
    • If squash or zucchini is added, increase the cornmeal to 1/3 cup
  • generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, optional [I used Thai basil and oregano]
  • dipping sauce, as desired – this homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce is great!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two mini muffin pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together cauliflower, squash [if using], cheese, egg, cornmeal, pepper, mustard, and herbs [if using]. Spoon into prepared muffin tins, pressing mixture down firmly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp along the edges and golden brown on top.

Serve with dipping sauces as desired. We like honey mustard or bbq sauce best.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie

So, when I shared my Chicken Tinga Tacos on Monday, I also mentioned that I made some pretty awesome leftovers with them. But here’s the catch: this doesn’t look like leftovers!! Score! Because, who really likes leftovers, anyways? I tolerate them, [though some are pretty tasty]… but seriously. It’s always more fun to make something new. This Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie does not resemble leftovers to me at all though. Not one bit. I mean, come on. Look at it! It’s a whole new meal, baby. Would this fool you? It’s just so beautiful! And it tastes good too. 🙂

Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie | The Pajama Chef

Think spicy, juicy meat plus crisp vegetables, and flavorful black beans. That’s like, all my favorite things right there. But you know what really took this leftover makeover from tolerable to fabulous? That thick, cheesy layer of cornbread smack dab on top. Ohhh yes. I’m kind of on a cornbread kick lately. We made a batch for a party last Thursday, and it was all gone [except three sad little pieces, which I promptly ate immediately] by the time we got home, so when I was searching for dinner ideas on Friday, cornbread was my first thought. Problem was, I had used up all the honey for the cornbread the day before!! Oh man. What kind of cornbread doesn’t require honey?!? Oh, that’s right. CORNBREAD pot pie topping! Much better than regular ‘ole crust, and probably healthier for you. Or something like that.

Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie | The Pajama Chef

I know this recipe isn’t original [though I proudly didn’t consult any recipe, except that off the side of the corn meal packaging]. I know my photos were taken in the waning daylight, and are not all the impressive. I know that the veggies are frozen and maybe not the most gourmet. But this is just good food, people. And I think you should try it soon! That’s all.

Enjoy! 🙂

Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie [cornbread adapted from the Kroger package of corn meal]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup shredded cooked chicken [I used this recipe]
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons corn meal
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10 inch round baking dish with cooking spray.

In baking dish, combine black beans, chicken, and vegetables. In a measuring cup, mix together water and taco seasoning. Pour water over the black bean mixture.

Next, stir together corn meal, flour, sugar, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk with the egg white, then add oil. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then spoon over black bean mixture.

Top with cheese, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is golden. Serve immediately.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Note: If you don’t have leftover shredded chicken, you could just cook up a chicken breast and shred it for this recipe, then mix in some salsa or spices for some extra flavor.

This recipe is linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins | The Pajama Chef
Breads, Recipes

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

So, Ben and I have a bad history with cornbread. Early on in our marriage, I made a 9×9 pan of cornbread and it was absolutely delicious… for days #1 and #2. But then on day #3,  things changed. I’ll spare you the details, even though it wasn’t super gross like mold or anything like that… I’m not even sure how to describe it, except to say that the cornbread just turned. Turned for the worst. It was so bad… so fast. I guess that’s how these things go  sometimes… and as a result, we’ve become suspicious about our cornbread, often fearing making it ourselves and/or eating it [even if someone else has made it!].

But THIS. THIS cornbread is nothing short of amazing.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins | The Pajama Chef

Pumpkin + stone-ground blue cornmeal in muffin form=amazing. Did I just say amazing twice? Three times? Sorry, but I’m not sorry… these Pumpkin Cornbread [muffins] are simply the best!

Can we just say that pumpkin makes everything better? [Even endless election talk?] I think so! Please.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins | The Pajama Chef

This cornbread is everything your typical cornbread needs to be–slightly sweet, soft, yet hearty enough to pair with a great soup or stew for dipping. Yet… this cornbread is a little different. Fall spices, pumpkin, and a hint of molasses make this cornbread incredibly flavorful and different… but not different enough for suspicious eaters [like us, the bad-experience-cornbread-eaters] to reject.

Don’t you love that?

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins | The Pajama Chef

Even though I initially made these for a soup night, I found myself pairing them with a good ‘ole schmear of pumpkin butter for breakfast.

Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins | The Pajama Chef

I would never do that with regular cornbread, so I consider that a victory for sure! Enjoy. 🙂

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

  • Servings: 12
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from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup cornmeal [I used a stone-ground blue cornmeal]
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon molasses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar,  and cornmeal. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil, and molasses. Gently stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then spoon into muffin cups.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.