A Stylish Closet

This post is sponsored by Shopko.  All opinions are my own.

Have you ever eaten something that was so good, you can’t get it out of your mind? Recently, we went to eat at a local restaurant, and my husband ordered the chicken and waffles. He continued to rave about them throughout our meal, and so I decided to try a bite.  They were delicious.  Over the next few weeks, we both mentioned multiple times how we were craving those chicken and waffles.  So, a few weeks later, we went to the restaurant again, and this time we both ordered the chicken and waffles.  To sum it up in a single word: Amazing!

The waffles are not your typical breakfast waffle, but instead, a thicker and crisper sweet waffle.  Apparently, this is called a Liege waffle. These thick Belgian style waffles paired perfectly with the savory chicken and sweet and spicy sauce. I decided that I had to find a way to make something similar at home, but the first thing I needed was a Belgian waffle maker.

I found exactly what I was looking for with the Elite Classic Belgian Waffle Maker from Shopko. It’s the perfect size, has 5 heat settings, has a durable stainless steel outer case, and is budget friendly.  Now that I had the right waffle maker for the job, I needed to find a similar recipe so I could attempt making this tasty meal.

While I wanted a waffle that was slightly sweet, all the waffle recipes I was coming across were made with Belgian Pearl Sugar, to add that extra sugary crust that you find in a dessert waffle. I along with my neighbor (@instantlymeg), decided that this would be way too sweet for more of a savory meal.  She had the idea that instead of adding the Belgian Pearl Sugar, just make the dough as directed, and then roll in white sugar before placing on the waffle maker.  Genius!

The waffle recipe I decided to follow was the “Copycat Waffle Luv Liege Waffle Recipe” by Oh, Sweet Basil.  It seemed to be the closest thing to what I was looking for, and all of her recipes that I’ve tried in the past, are fabulous, so I had a feeling this one would be as well. I will admit, I was a bit nervous because I had never used yeast before, and I was worried I would somehow ruin it.  In fact, the night before I made these, I had multiple dreams about me ruining the dough, due to the yeast.  So I was thrilled when my first attempt was a success. 

Once the dough has risen (takes about 4-5 hours), punch it down and knead a bit before separating into 10-12 balls. Roll these balls in white sugar and then place one at a time on your heated waffle iron.  I turned my Waffle Maker up to the 4th setting, placed the entire ball in the middle and cooked until the tops were crispy and caramelized, approximately 4 minutes. Every waffle iron is different, so you will just have to experiment and see what works best for you.

Once the waffles were done, we topped them with a breaded chicken tender, honey chipotle sauce (see below for recipe from geniuskitchen.com), chile ranch (recipe below), bacon bits, cilantro, and green onions. I leave the green onions off on mine.

My first attempt may not have been completely up to fine restaurant quality, but they were pretty amazing and really hit the spot.  I was so happy with them I had to share them with my friend next door, and with my sister in law.  My sister in law saw them and didn’t believe that I had actually made them at home.  Below is a step by step description of the process in case any one else is looking to satisfy the same craving, find a new craving, or give the same impression to friends and family.

If you want to test out this recipe, but need a Belgian Waffle Maker, I have good news!  Shopko is having their Friends & Family sale now through May 23rd.  Use code: FNF261 to receive an Extra 20% off your purchase + Free Shipping over $99.

Take a look at my Maven board to see some of my favorite items that are included in this sale.

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Honey Chipotle Chicken and Waffles

Combining sweet and savory for this delicious meal of Chicken and Waffles.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, waffles

Servings 10

Author Waffle recipe taken from: Oh, Sweet Basil

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole milk scalded and cooled to warm milk * SEE NOTES
• 2 Tbsp warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 large eggs, slightly whisked
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar to roll dough in before cooking
• 1 pkg frozen chicken tenders
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper (McCormick makes a powder)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1 - 1 1/2 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper powder
• cilantro for garnish
• green onions for garnish
• bacon bits for garnish

Instructions

1. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar to the milk and water and add the yeast, stirring to combine.

   
   

2. allow the yeast to proof, or get foamy and puffy.

3. in a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar.
4. add the eggs, honey and vanilla.
5. stir together and add the yeast mixture.
6. use mixer with the dough hook and add 2 cups of flour.
7. mix until the dough is thoroughly incorporated, and add the remaining flour, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for up to 4 hours on the counter.

8. then punch down and knead a few times.

   separate into 10-12 balls,   roll in sugar, and place on a hot, greased waffle iron.  

     cook until golden brown 

Notes: To scald milk, just place milk in a pan over medium heat, do not bring to a boil, instead let it heat up until foam appears around the sides and a little “skin” appears on top of the milk.

For Honey-Chipotle Sauce: Combine: honey, water, ketchup, vinegar, ground chipotle chile pepper powder, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

For the Chile Ranch sauce: Mix ranch with chile powder.

To assemble Chicken and Waffles: Cook chicken tenders according to package. Cook waffles. Place one chicken finger on top of waffle and top with honey chipotle sauce and chile ranch sauce. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and bacon bits.