I’m calling this waffle bread, because people hear waffles, and assume they’re just meant only for breakfast, or for eating with a knife and fork with some type of sauce or syrup (which, let’s be honest, is never a bad thing). But these savory waffles can be eaten in so many ways; I like to think of them more of a roll or bread. They’re awesome as a side dish with your favorite soup or chili (my kids like to dip them in tomato or chicken noodle) or you could even sandwich them with smoked turkey, tomatoes and lettuce for a killer sandwich. Top them with a fried egg and a little side salad for an awesome meal on their own. They’re super crispy on the outside, and tender and fluffy on the inside, with bits of salty ham, creamy cheese, and flavorful chives. They’re SO good on their own, and the perfect side for an easy meal. Plus they’re super fast to whip up, so they can be on the table in a hurry!
Start with some basic dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and a little dry mustard.
Add in some shredded cheddar cheese (I suggest shredding your own from a block as opposed to using bagged, shredded cheese, which doesn’t melt as well).
Throw in some diced deli ham for a flavorful, salty bite (I’ve used bacon before, and it’s amazing),
and a handful of chopped chives. (finely sliced green onions would work as well.)
Toss that all together and place in a mixing bowl.
Then use that same bowl to mix up your wet ingredients: buttermilk, egg, and oil.
Mix those together and cook them up in a waffle iron until they’re golden brown.
They’ll be golden and crisp on the outside and so soft and fluffy on the inside.
You’ll definitely want to heat them hot and fresh, so keep them warm in foil, or in a hot oven while you cook all the batter.
When you break them open, there will be strands of gooey cheese melting throughout, little bits of the savory ham, and I love, love chives.
One of my favorite ways to eat these is with a simple fried egg on top.
Cook it over-easy or sunny-side-up and the yolk kind of acts like a sauce. It’s awesome.
Ham and Cheddar Waffle Bread
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard*
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped deli ham
1 heaping tablespoon chopped chives, or thinly sliced green onions
1 cup buttermilk**
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
*If you don’t have dry mustard, sub 1/2 tablespoon regular yellow mustard and add to wet ingredients instead of dry.
**If you don’t have buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a measuring cup and fill with milk until it reaches 1 cup. Let sit for a few minutes before using.
Instructions
Whisk together flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dry mustard. Add cheese, ham, and chives and lightly toss. In a separate bowl whisk buttermilk, oil, and egg. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until everything is incorporated. Don’t over-mix. If you have time, allow to sit for 20-30 minutes before cooking, the waffles will be a bit fluffier. If you’re in a time crunch, go ahead and cook them.
Heat a waffle iron. Ladle batter into machine and cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions until just golden. All waffle irons will vary. In my basic, 8″ round, I use a full 1/2 cup batter and it yields 3-3 1/2 full rounds, or 12-14 wedges.
Serve hot and fresh. To reheat, pop in toaster until heated through.
I’m thinking of doing these more like a pizza waffle – substituting diced pepperoni for the ham. Should I leave in the mustard powder or maybe replace it with Italian seasoning?
You can leave it in- it doesn’t make it taste mustard-y, but rather gives it some flavor depth.
I made these for dinner tonight, and the family loved them! My little boy ate them with syrup, but I ate them topped with salad. My husband ate his with a poached egg on top. This is sure to be a repeat at our house.
So I used to make waffles like these in college, except Bisquick. Because I didn’t know better. I had to make three batches of these for dinner tonight–my kids scarfed them down as quick as the waffle iron spit them out. They were so light and fluffy!
I did use canned ham (I know, I know) as that was the only ham-like thing in my house, and the reason we had waffles was because I wasn’t doing anything drastic like grocery shopping. And it was terrific.
Thanks for this one!
You’ve done it again! Everyone loved these waffles tonight!
I made these this weekend and loved them. I had one left over and I heated it up in the toaster oven and I think it tasted even better today! Great breakfast to eat on the run!!
my mom used to always do this with the bottom of the batter, she would make a couple waffles with cheese in them….. the outside got a little crispy and the inside would be gooey and with butter on top, i sometimes preferred them to butter & syrup. YUM. totally making these as a side dish!
Okay, I love waffles and I am likely to eat them for dinner. I like the idea of savory ones like this. BUT I will have to admit I never thought of them as a side item with soup or salad. What splendid idea. Thank you!
I LOVE CHEESE WAFFLES! They are my one of my favorite comfort foods. Our family has always put cheese on the top and it gets all crispy and it is the best. I honestly don’t like waffles as much if they don’t have crispy cheese on top. It doesn’t get stringy or stuff which is why people would think it is gross I guess. I think part of my love is the nostalgia. But now I can prove I am not a weirdo for putting cheese on my waffles as this is similar and everyone knows you guys are the bomb.com. Thanks for the new ideas! I will try them this weekend!
Do you have any idea if this would work with rice flour? Or potato flour or starch for gluten free… all of a sudden I’ve found that I may have a gluten intolerance and it’s soooo dang hard not eating carbs like this!
These look delicious. I’m wondering what the difference is between chives and green onions??? I feel like I should know this, but I don’t.
I could see this with broiled tomatoes on top and a nice thick cheese sauce. Yum!
Yes, yes, and YES.
Thank you so much for the recipe! We had them for dinner and I don’t think I will make just plain waffles again. My whole family loved them!
So happy you loved them!
I would never have thought of doing a savory waffle, but I love a ham & cheese crepe, so I bet these would be awesome. If I wanted to get really fancy I might try them with gruyere instead of cheddar and then they would really be like a crepe. Yum!
Yes, they’d be awesome with Gruyere!
What kind of waffle maker do you use? I really need a new one and yours looks perfect!
Honestly, mine is just an inexpensive Black & Decker. I’ve had it since my wedding 🙂
I want to go home and make these right now. Looks delicious!
Wowee – will make and report back on these for sure. As an aside, one of the most convenient things in our kitchen is a cheap plastic tortilla warmer (like you’d see at a Mexican restaurant to serve your tortillas). They do a great job keeping waffles, biscuits and pancakes warm and soft during mealtime.
Great tip. Why don’t I own one of those?!
Do you think these would work in a Belgian waffle maker. That is what I have
Absolutely. Any waffle maker will do 🙂 A Belgian waffle maker will use a bit more batter so the yield will differ, but they should cook up great!
Oohh! Looks yummy! Will have to try this!
Interesting. Waffles are in my top 5 favorite foods- you know, regular waffles. I am excited to try these!
Oh yum! I would never have thought of doing a savory waffle but this sounds delicious, and perfect on those days, (everyday) when I don’t want to spend hours on rolls. Thanks!