Cool Things to do With a Waffle Iron (besides make boring waffles)

You know that waffle iron you got as a wedding gift?  It’s probably in the dark recesses of your kitchen cabinet behind all the other things you use once a year.

Well, I’d like to let the humble waffle iron see the light of day!

There’s no room for a one trick pony in any kitchen because the real estate is so valuable. So, I got creative and decided to make breakfast, lunch and dessert using mine.

Here are 8 things I’ll bet you never thought to do with your waffle iron.

 

Tater Tot Hash Browns 

 

This is delicious and sooooo easy! Making hash browns on the stove top takes forever and you have to flip them if you like them crispy on both sides, but not with a waffle iron. I placed thawed tots, 3 by 3 in each section of the waffle iron and closed the lid for about 5 minutes. They came out perfectly. Very crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, delicious!

 

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

 

 

Oh yes, I did! If you only try one new thing in your waffle iron; try this! Just place the dough on the waffle maker and close the lid for 2 to 3 minutes. The best part about this is the square pockets to hold the icing.

 

French Toast Waffles

 

 

Crisp on the outside and custardy on the inside, the best of both worlds.  Using your favorite french toast recipe, place the soaked bread into the waffle iron rather than in a skillet. And did I mention the square divots you can fill with butter and syrup? Ooohh lala! 

 

Grilled Cheese

 

 

You can make a wicked grilled cheese sandwich in the waffle maker. Be sure to brush the outside of the bread with butter so it comes out golden brown and crisp. It takes less time too because it cooks both sides at once. Mo bettah, mo fastah.

 

Bacon!

 

 

Everything’s better with bacon.  I like that the waffling held the bacon out of the grease and cooked it lean and flat. Perfect for a BLT or club sandwich.  No splattering either, bonus!

 

Pressed Sandwiches

 

 

Dress up any sandwich by warming and crisping it in the waffle iron.  It’s like a panini press but you can’t make waffles on a panini press. Promise me you’ll use lots of cheese to enjoy the full effect of this technique. For maximum crisp; brush the outside of the bread with butter. Oh yeah!

 

Pizza Pocket Dippers

 

 

I took pizza toppings, like mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, olives, and Italian seasoning, and used that as a filling for crescent dinner rolls. Next, I folded them to make a sealed pocket. Then placed them in the waffle iron until they were golden brown and delicious. I don’t recommend using pizza sauce in the pocket because that made a rather gooey mess but instead use pizza sauce as a dipping sauce. Such a fun lunch or dinner.

 

Waffled Wraps

 

 

Take a tortilla and fill with your favorite sandwich makings, roll it up like a burrito and warm in the waffle iron. I used thinly sliced deli turkey, cheddar cheese and a schmear of cream cheese to make sure to hold it all together.  You could add tomatoes and/or spinach too.  Oh, my, melty gooey goodness!

 

I hope this inspires you to dust off that waffle iron and enjoy a quick and easy way to make fun food for the whole family.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, I can recommend this one: Hamilton Beach Belgian Style Waffle Baker  I LOVE it because it’s inexpensive, reliable, easy to care for, and if you run out of other things to do with it . . . it makes beautiful WAFFLES!

 

 

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