Savory Cornmeal Waffles with Tomatoes and Poached Egg

Sweet waffles are a pretty ubiquitous breakfast staple. Walk into any breakfast joint and the menu is sure to feature some Belgium waffle monstrosity drenched in sweetened fruit syrup and mounded with whipped cream. Delicious, yes...but how 'bout a savory waffle for a change of pace.

Behold one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I am a huge fan of any baked good made with cornmeal so the idea of a savory cornmeal waffle topped with some fresh vegetables and a poached egg sounded like heaven to me. I originally first made this recipe during a Friday in Lent and we enjoyed it so much that we ended up making it multiple times during that same month. Paul normally enjoys his waffle topped with some shredded Pepperjack cheese in addition to the tomato mixture, but I think it is completely delicious without it - just so long as you have a good, runny egg yolk to function as the perfect "sauce."  You could also skip making your own tomato topping and simply use some store-bought salsa...it's pretty fantastic that way!  These waffles are also awesome when topped with some fried chicken breast and sawmill gravy, if you are in to the whole chicken and waffles thing!

Either way, for a truly different twist on waffles for breakfast, give this recipe a whirl!

Savory Cornmeal Waffles with Fresh Tomatoes and Poached Egg
Waffle Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

For the topping:
1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, small dice
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
A small squirt of olive oil
A small splash of lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Poached Eggs

For the tomato topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.

For the eggs, bring a small skillet filled to a 2-inch depth of water to a gentle simmer.  Poach eggs in water for 3-5 minutes depending on how set you like your yolks. Season with salt and pepper.

For the waffles:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Whisk together the flour through pepper in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently fold everything together until no dry spots remain. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on your Belgium or regular waffle maker. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until the eggs are ready (if you are making multiple batches). Top with poached eggs, tomato mixture, and a few dashes of Frank's hot sauce (why not?) and enjoy!

Maple Sausage Breakfast Bake

What are your plans for Christmas morning?

We normally attend the midnight Christmas Mass.  It's beautiful and exciting to be out in the wee mornings of the hour, rushing through the cold and wet to witness the celebration of the nativity just like the shepherds did on that holy night over two thousand years ago.  When we return home, we have a snack of wassail and Christmas cookies and then head to bed.  As soon as the child awakens in the morning, we open presents under the tree and then sit down to a delicious breakfast of coffee cake, eggnog, fresh cut pineapple, and some sort of egg bake.  We are really looking forward to it!

In the meantime, every evening we get to watch Matthew desperately huff and puff in an attempt to blow out the candles on our Advent wreath.  These pictures make me giggle each time because, despite all that effort, he could not manage to blow that candle out.  Paul secretly had to give the little guy a little assistance.

If you do not have a menu picked out for Christmas morning, I have an unusual and delicious recipe suggestion.  Paul has always talked about his love of eating pancakes topped with eggs and sausage with maple syrup poured over the whole concoction.  It sounded rather strange to me, but apparently he is not the only person who thinks this is a fantastic flavor combination.  When I came across an article written by the editor of Cook's Illustrated about easy entertaining, the featured recipe for an breezy company brunch was a casserole consisting of frozen waffles, maple sausage, cheddar cheese, soaked overnight in an egg custard and baked in the morning.  It sounded interesting enough to try.

We enjoyed this for the Feast of Saint Lucia.  Despite its humble appearance, this really was a memorable breakfast. It completely converted me to the idea of eating sausage with waffles/pancakes.  I think Paul ate half the casserole by himself.  It's really not very sweet, but the maple flavor is certainly prominent.  I'm sure this would be a welcome addition to any holiday brunch!

Maple Sausage Breakfast Bake
adapted from Cook's Country


6-8 frozen waffles (They recommend Eggo Homestyle Waffles)
12 ounces maple breakfast sausage (We used two packages of Banquet maple sausage)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole or low-fat milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375ºF. Arrange the waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes per side.

Brown the sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Drain on paper towels and, once cool enough to handle, slice crosswise into rounds.

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Add half of the waffles in a single layer. Add half of the sausage and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat layering the waffles, sausage, and 1/2 cup more cheese. Whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place weights on top (a couple cans of chicken broth worked for us!). Refrigerate the casserole for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325ºF. Let the casserole stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup the cheese over the top. Bake until the edges and center are puffed, about 45-50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve.

Easy Cheese Souffle

Sorry for the hiatus.  We have been keeping busy making this little kitty feel welcome in our home.  Meet the most docile, patient, loving cat I have ever seen in my life.  As a surprise to me, Paul left work early last Tuesday and adopted this little guy for me.  I had fallen in love with this cat during a routine trip to the Humane Society with Matthew.  Apparently, nobody wanted this sweet kitty because he is polydactyl, possessing two extra toes on each of his two front paws.  I, however, find this minor genetic defect to be absolutely adorable.  Paul saw how much I loved him and decided it was high time we had a pet.  We have named him Reilly (short for O'Reilly...because he has green eyes and thus must be IRISH) and he has fit in splendidly thus far.  He likes to perch on the toy box upstairs in the play room while Matthew tinkers with various toys.  They are great pals.

 

As much as I love my new kitty, I really want to share this recipe for a simple, easy cheese souffle.  Cheese souffles make me swoon.  Chocolate souffle are delicious and certainly have their place as a fancy finish to an elaborate meal, but a perfectly executed cheese souffle will truly make me drool.  Paul has never liked the sound of souffles.  He has had a couple of dessert varieties and has determined that they simply bring back horrible, painful memories of eating mousse, his mortal dessert enemy.

The guy is crazy.  Mousse is delicious.  And he seems to love it when we use it as a filling in his favorite cake ever.

Nevertheless, he has always turned up his nose at a cheese souffle.  Even without ever having tried one.  In his mind, it would have the taste and texture of a savory mousse - and that would be a very awful thing to endure.

When Paul is out on a business trip and too far away to be offended by the presence of anything leavened with egg whites, I will make a cheese souffle for Matthew and myself.  Matthew loves them and greedily gobbles his portion (and sometimes mine!) as if he has not eaten in days.

Well, Paul has not been taking too many business trips lately and my desire for a warm, cheesy souffle began to really bug me.  I decided that Paul and his picky palate will just have to deal...we were going to have a souffle for dinner.

The method for making a cheese souffle is so simplistic that I have the recipe memorized.  However, I do love to play around with different cheeses and seasonings.  This time, I chose a delicious New York sharp cheddar and paired it with some ground mustard and paprika.  Another favorite variation is Gruyere and a teeny bit of nutmeg.  Divine!

The souffle rose beautifully (even though my new souffle dish was a bit large for the recipe) and the moment of truth arrived when Paul cut into it and gingerly removed a portion for himself.  He took a bite, hesitated, and then looked at me with a rapture and said:  "This is amazing!"  He ate about 3/4 of the souffle and then began eyeing Matthew's portion.

And thus, Paul was converted into a true lover of the simple cheese souffle.

Served with a simple green salad, this is an awesome, easy dinner.

Cheese Souffle
adapted from America's Test Kitchen


3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch chunks, plus extra for coating dish
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (divided use)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sharp cheddar (but Gruyere, Swiss, and Gouda are amazing)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 large eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Set oven rack to middle level. If desired, before preheating, add a pizza stone to help support the soufflé dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Thoroughly butter inside of 2-quart soufflé dish, then coat evenly with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and set aside.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 1 minute.

Remove from heat, whisk in cheddar, salt, pepper, paprika, and dry mustard. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks until completely incorporated, and set aside.

Using electric mixer, whip egg whites in separate bowl on medium-low speed until opaque and frothy, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar, and increase speed to medium-high. Continue to whip, watching carefully, until thick and forming stiff peaks, about 2 1/2 minutes.

Working with 1/4 of whipped egg whites at a time, gently fold them into the yolk mixture until almost no white streaks remain (a few are ok). Gently pour mixture into prepared soufflé dish and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until top is nicely browned and center jiggles slightly (an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side of the soufflé top should register 170 degrees).

Southern-Style Cheddar Grits

The lazy Summer days are quickly fading.  I have a feeling that since the heat came early this Spring, we might see our first snowfall by mid-October.  In the meantime, we are trying to soak up the remainder of the Summer sun.  Matthew is doing his part by eating more than his fair share of popsicles.  He loves the things so much, that Paul and I have already stocked up on some extra boxes of Pop-ice before they become scarce during the Fall and Winter.

At least Matthew is more than willing to share his favorite treat...

Even though the temperatures are still in the mid-90s, I have begun to crave warm soups, curries, and other comfort foods.  Last Sunday, Paul and I decided that cheese grits sounded like the perfect thing to make for breakfast.  The warm, cheesy, slightly textured consistency of the grits pairs beautifully with a perfectly poached or fried egg and some crisp bacon.  Comfort food at its finest.

Grits are made pretty much the same way as polenta, only grits are usually white because they are made from ground hominy, not corn.  The texture ends up being a little more grainy than the smooth, almost porridge-like consistency of a good polenta.  If I had to choose between the two, it would be rough...they are both delicious and can easily be eaten straight from the saucepan (this almost happened with our pot of grits, but I quickly grabbed a nearby spatula and was able to beat away my hungry, thieving husband and save some breakfast for Matthew and myself!).  

This is a dish that we make often during the winter.  Sometimes, I will substitute coarse-ground cornmeal for the ground hominy and make a more textured polenta (using the same method outlined below but substituting Parmesan for the cheddar), and then serve it topped with Eggs Diavolo (eggs poached in spicy Italian-style tomatoes).  Divine.  However, Paul's favorite combination is the classic, cheddar grits topped with pieces of crisp-fried bacon, and fried eggs. 

As for Mr. Matthew?  He just picks out the bacon.

Cheese Grits with Eggs and Bacon
adapted from Alton Brown


2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup coarse grits (NOT instant) or coarse-ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded
6 slices thick-cut bacon
6+ eggs (matter of preference!)

Place the milk, water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once all of the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover. Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is creamy.

While the grits are cooking, fry bacon in a skillet until crispy.  Drain on paper towels until ready to serve.  During the last 5 minutes that the grits are cooking, poach or fry the eggs as desired so they will be finished at approximately the same time as the grits.

Remove from the heat, add the pepper and butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time.

Spoon into 4-6 individual, shallow bowls.  Top with some crumbled bacon and one or two of the poached/fried eggs.  Sprinkle with coarse black pepper and serve immediately!