Are you thrown off already just by the title? Savory waffles, really? Trust me, it took some time to convince myself to finally make these and try them. The ingredients listed just didn't seem to work in a waffle. Ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, ham, chives, and...orange zest? Weird.
Although we ended up having these for dinner, this is also a perfect breakfast. Instead of just your plain old waffles and syrup, why not consume some added nutrients while still getting that same nostalgic hearty breakfast? Next time, I will cut down a little on the orange zest since it came through with a little bitter aftertaste for me. (This change is reflected in the recipe below). However, Ben didn't notice it and loved every bite.
These cheddar waffles come together very quickly, which is nice when needing breakfast before running out the door, or for a quick weeknight meal. You can serve these with maple syrup or orange marmalade. I went with maple syrup since we had it on hand, but I have sights on making orange marmalade someday and this will be first on my list when using it!
Cheese, Ham and Chive Waffles
Yield: 4 servings, 8 waffles
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
3 large eggs
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup milk, or half-and-half
½ cup butter, melted
Zest of ½ orange
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced smoked ham
¼ cup chopped chives
Maple syrup or orange marmalade, for serving
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs, Ricotta, milk butter and orange zest. Gently stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture, then fold in the shredded cheese, ham and chives.
Pour about ½ cup batter per waffle into a preheated nonstick waffle iron. Bake for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with orange marmalade or maple syrup.
To freeze: Flash freeze for 10 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer to a freezer bag and store up to 1 month. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 300˚F and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Source: Sargento Cheese
Pennies on a Platter Disclosure – Although this post was sponsored by Sargento, the opinions expressed of this recipe are my own.
