Waffles for dinner? Absolutely, as long as they are savory chive and cornmeal waffles, topped with a rich Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar gravy. Mix up a batch of this easy batter and pull out your waffle iron for dinner tonight.
Gravy:
1 tablespoon Cabot Unsalted Butter
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 ¼ cup nonfat milk
4 ouncees Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 1 cup)
Pinch salt
3 to 5 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
Waffles:
1 cup King Arthur White Whole-Wheat Flour or Whole-Wheat Flour
½ cup cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups Cabot Nonfat Plain Yogurt
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
Oil for waffle iron
MELT butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add canola oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Sprinkle in flour and stir to make a paste. Remove from the heat and whisk in milk until smooth. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Add cheddar, pinch of salt and Tabasco and whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
PREHEAT waffle iron.
WHISK flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and cayenne in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, egg yolks and canola in a large bowl. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric mixer until stiff. Stir the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture. Fold egg whites and chives into the batter in two batches only until no large streaks remain.
COOK waffles in batches in oiled waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions. Keep waffles warm and serve with the cheddar gravy.
I had to modify this recipe a bit to make it gluten free, but with a simple 1:1 substitution of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour, I was in business. I had garlic scapes ready to harvest, so I substituted two finely chopped scapes for the minced garlic. And Tapatio hot sauce in place of Tabasco. These were delicious as dinner. They need to toast toward the longer end of the settings on the waffle iron, but it made an excellent waffle. By leaving the pinch of cayenne out of the batter, I was able to have waffles left over for a sweet breakfast with maple syrup. A good recipe to use as a basis for experimentation.