Butternut squash waffles with chorizo and spinach

There are many varieties of waffles around the world - soft, crispy, with caramel, syrup, ice cream, fruits, etc. Most people prefer them as a sweet breakfast or a dessert. However, waffles can be the perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner. Find below a selection of savory waffles recipes, try them at home and enjoy a delicious meal! Savory Waffles recipes – tips for beginners As easy as waffles are to make, there are some little secrets that you need to know, especially if you do not have a lot of culinary experience. Here are some tips for you: Make sure that you preheat your waffle iron before baking starts. Always pre-grease the waffle iron to prevent the wafers from sticking to the surface. It is best if you use odorless vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray before adding batter. However, if your recipe contains a large amount of butter/oil you do not need to grease the waffle iron. If you want thin and crispy waffles, press the top cover of the waffle iron firmly with your hands Carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions about recommended baking time. Generally it will depend on the thickness of the waffles. Thick ones will require 3-4 minutes while thin ones will be baked for about 1-2 minutes. Think of the topping. Thin waffles get soaked quickly, so they are not suitable for syrup while thick ones can be served with syrup, cream and ice cream and remain dense. If you add ingredients like sundried tomatoes, spinach, ham, cheddar cheese, fresh herbs, etc. make sure they are chopped into small chunks. This helps with even baking. Thick batter is poured in the center of the waffle maker and then spread evenly. If you think that your batter is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time and stir until the desired consistency. Ham and Cheese Waffles Recipe Ingredients: 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 3 large eggs 1 ½ cups buttermilk 6 tbsp melted butter 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese 1 cup diced ham Instructions: In a large bowl, whisk flour with baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk eggs, add in buttermilk and butter. Pour the egg mixture into the flour bowl, and gently mix. Fold in the cheese and ham. Be careful not to over mix as waffles can become tough. Scoop about ¾ cup of the batter into a waffle iron and cook until golden and crisp for about 3 minutes. Serve hot. Savory waffles recipes – Ham, Gruyere and Mustard sauce Ingredients: For the batter: 2 eggs, separated 2 cups milk 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup melted butter For the topping: 1 pound (450 g) thinly shaved ham 8 ounces (220g) Gruyere cheese, shredded ½ cup applesauce ¼ cup maple syrup 1/3 cup coarse grain mustard Directions: In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in melted butter. In a medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter. Prepare waffles according to your waffle maker directions. Combine applesauce, maple syrup and mustard in a small bowl. Top the waffles with ham and some of the shredded cheese. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes. Drizzle some of the sauce and serve. Cheese and Chorizo Savory Waffles Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 3 tablespoon butter, melted 1 1/3cups whole milk 1egg ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded ¾ lb chorizo, ground 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 cups fresh spinach 1 cup shredded fontina cheese For serving: 4 fried eggs Sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeno Salt and pepper Directions: In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, milk, melted butter, egg and a pinch of salt and pepper until just combined. Stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and set batter aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over high heat and brown chorizo all over, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Add chopped bell pepper and spinach. Cook for another 5 minutes and then remove from heat. Preheat your waffle iron. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's directions. Place cooked waffles back in iron and top each with chorizo mixture and then a handful of fontina cheese. Add another waffle on top. Carefully shut the waffle iron, pressing the waffles together to form sandwiches. Cook 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Transfer each waffled sandwich to a plate and top with fried egg, avocado, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeno. Spinach and Tomato Waffles Recipe Ingredients: For the batter: 2 ¼ Cups All Purpose flour 1 ¾ Cups Buttermilk ½ Cup butter, melted ¼ tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 Tbsp sugar 1 ¼ Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded ½ Cup Fresh spinach leaves, chopped ¼ Cup roasted tomatoes, chopped For Remoulade sauce: 1 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise 1/4 Cup Spicy Mustard 1 Tbsp Paprika 2 tsp Cajun Seasoning 1 tsp Garlic Powder 2 tsp Dill Pickle Juice 2 tsp Hot Sauce Directions: Prepare the Remoulade sauce. In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients together with a fork or whisk. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk lightly to combine. Pour in buttermilk and melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until a batter is formed. Add cheese, spinach, and tomatoes. Stir until evenly distributed. The batter is thicker than regular but if looks too dry, add some more buttermilk a Tbsp at a time. Spray waffle iron with non stick cooking spray. Spoon batter into each section and spread across with a spoon to cover the surface area of the section. Close lid and let bake for 8-9 min. Remove waffles and serve warm with Remoulade sauce. Butternut squash waffles with chorizo and spinach Ingredients: For the batter: 1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour ⅓ cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups buttermilk 3 large eggs, separated 1 cup mashed butternut squash 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled ½ cup grated parmesan cheese For topping: 114 oz (400g) mashed butternut squash 1 tbsp olive oil 7 oz (200g) cherry tomatoes 7 oz (200g) chorizo, thinly sliced 6 oz (170g) baby spinach 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 4 eggs Instructions: To make the waffles: Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg yolks together. Stir in the butternut squash, melted butter and parmesan cheese. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then fold in the egg whites gently into the batter. Preheat the waffle iron. Spread a ladleful of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done. To make the topping: Preheat the oven to 390°F/200°C. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Heat a pan over medium heat and cook the chorizo for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown all over. Wilt the spinach in the microwave according to the instructions on the packet, then squeeze out any excess liquid. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the vinegar. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Swirl the water so that a whirlpool forms, then carefully pour the egg into the water. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Top the waffles with butternut squash, spinach, chorizo and tomatoes and a poached egg before serving. Parmesan and parsley savory waffles Ingredients: 2 cups self raising flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 cups milk 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 egg yolks 4 egg whites 100g butter, melted Large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped Directions: Preheat your waffle maker. Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl mix together milk, parmesan and yolks with a fork until well combined. Add to the flour and gently stir to combine. Add the melted butter to the flour mixture and gently stir until combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites and parsley into the batter until just combined. Ladle a portion of the batter into the waffle maker and cook as per the instructions. Serve immediately. Pizza Waffles Recipe Ingredients: For the batter: 3 eggs ½ cup milk 1 Tbsp oil ½ tsp salt 1 cup all purpose flour 2 tsp Italian seasoning ½ tsp baking soda ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese ⅓ cup pepperoni, chopped into small chunks ½ plum tomato, chopped ⅓ cup green bell pepper, chopped For topping: ½–1 cup warm pizza sauce shaved parmesan Directions: In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add milk, oil and salt, whisking well to combine. Add in flour, Italian seasoning, and baking soda and whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for one hour or overnight in the fridge. After batter rests, stir in mozzarella, pepperoni, tomato and bell pepper. Preheat your waffle maker. Cook according to waffle maker directions. Serve topped with warm pizza sauce and parmesan. Spinach and Cheese Waffles Recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 cups milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil 4 oz. (110 g) Monterey Jack cheese, grated 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped Instructions: Preheat the waffle iron. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir gently until smooth. Fold in the cheese and the spinach. Spray the hot waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle a portion of the batter and cook according manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with your favorite toppings. Charcoal Waffles Recipe Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups(180g) all-purpose flour ¼cup(40g) cornstarch 1 ½ tbsp. baking powder 3 tsp activated charcoal ¼ tsp salt tbsp sugar 1 ½ cups (375mL) milk (almond or soy milk for vegan option) 2 ½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar 3 tbsp melted butter or neutral-tasting oil 2 tbsp tahini For topping: Cream cheese, bacon, tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, fresh basil, roasted pepper Instructions: Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, charcoal, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milk, apple cider vinegar, melted butter and tahini. Stir to combine and then pour into dry ingredients. Stir until no lumps remain. Cook waffles in a preheated waffle iron. Spread with cream cheese and add your favorite toppings. Spinach, Feta and Potato Waffle Recipe Ingredients: 4 eggs 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 3.5oz (100g) baby spinach, finely chopped 1 large potato, cooked and cubed 2.8oz (80g) feta cheese, crumbled 3 spring onions, finely chopped 1 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley 1 tsp finely chopped dill (optional) Instructions: Boil the potato until fork tender. Cool, peel and cut into small cubes. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, salt and oil. Add flour and baking powder and whisk until batter is smooth. Fold in the potato, feta, spring onion and herbs. Preheat the waffle maker and spray with cooking spray. Cook the waffles for about 5 minutes or until golden and firm. Transfer to a plate and serve.