Sunday, March 23, 2014

Get Out the Waffle Iron!

Tater tot waffles with scrambled eggs and bacon


When was the last time you used your waffle iron for something besides 'waffles'? If it's sitting in a corner all dusty, take it out! We've got some ideas for you...

First up is the creation above - Tater Tot Waffles! Yes, tater tots. But we're going to add some extras to them to give them some zip.

Our trusty waffle maker is a Black & Decker Grill and Waffle Maker combination. You can use whatever waffle maker you have on hand. But, you'll need to have a practice run as all wafflers are not created equal.

Ingredients:

Tater tots (the original shape works best but you can use other styles as long as they are on the smallish side)
Oil for the waffler (spray or brush on)
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce

We use a combination of regular tots and sweet potato tots.

First thing - thaw the tots! This takes dang near forever if you try to waffle them frozen! Brush or spray the waffler lightly with oil. Lay the thawed tots side by side in the waffler, close and cook on high for about 4 minutes. (Every waffler is different, take a peek to make sure you're not burning them! If they are crisping up too quickly adjust the temp or the time.) 

Open the cover to see if you have any gaps, fill with tots (VERY IMPORTANT STEP), close lid and keep waffling. Total time is about 8 minutes.

When done, flip out onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet (we can take the waffle tray out of the machine, you might need a couple of spatulas or forks). The tot waffle should slide right out. If not, loosen with the spatula or fork and try again. Immediately season. You can hold these in a 170 degree oven for about an hour (if you're waiting for sleepy heads or you need to make more).

The tots should flatten out and stick together. If they don't, use more tots next time. You can see in the photo below how there are some gaps on the edges but it flipped out in one piece.

tater tot waffle on waffler
Almost done. Edges a little raggedy, should have filled in with more tots.

You can use these for any meal or for an after school snack. We piled ours with scrambled eggs but a poached egg with pancetta and Hollandaise would be yum-o as well. They make a fun alternative to french fries or onion rings.

Next up - Cinnamon Roll Waffles!

cinnamon roll waffles
Cinnamon roll waffles

Ingredients:

Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with frosting (NOT Grands)
Oil for the waffler

Pop open the can, separate the cinnamon rolls, oil the waffler, put 2-3 rolls on waffler, cook on low or the cinnamon will make a royal mess of the waffler! Takes about 4-5 minutes on low. But keep an eye on it the first time. Rolls are done when nicely browned. 

Remove from waffler, cut into servings, plate and drizzle frosting over the top. 

trusty waffler
Magic machine
Hard to believe this inauspicious looking waffler can create such fun foods!


White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main Street Freeport, Maine 04032