A Few Waffle Variations You Might Actually Use

Back when I was a twenty-something between jobs, scraping enough together to buy basic groceries was challenging. One day I noticed I was out of bread to make sandwiches. I knew how to bake bread, but I didn’t have the luxury of time to bake a loaf in order to satisfy my immediate hunger. What was I to do?

I spotted a box of instant pancake and waffle mix. Because I made sorry looking pancakes, the waffle iron was my tool of choice. After spooning some of the batter into the baker, I noticed there was no syrup in the cupboard. The jar of peanut butter was the only thing to keep me from having to eat the waffles dry. So, I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of two squares of waffles. The sandwich was tasty, so I prepared the rest of the batter in order to make more sandwiches later.

Even after I became more financially stable, I didn’t forget the discovery of making sandwiches with waffles. In fact, last night I had a light supper sandwich of two whole wheat waffle squares spread with half of an avocado–mashed, a slice of swiss cheese, and six slices of vegetarian pepperoni. I warmed the finished sandwich in the microwave just long enough to start to melt the cheese. I served it with a side salad to make a satisfying meal.

Just about any kind of sandwich that can be made, can be prepared with waffle squares instead of regular bread. A good sandwich for breakfast or brunch is the egg and cheese sandwich served with a side of vegetables or fruit. Use freshly baked waffle squares with your favorite choice of cheese and an egg cooked the way you like it. Make the sandwich open-face with one square or a regular sandwich with two squares. It’s good either way.

Last month I converted my friend Adam to the versatile waffle. I prepared two fresh circular waffles, unseparated. Placed them on a baking sheet. Each waffle was spread with pizza sauce, then topped with chopped veggies, sliced mushrooms, shredded mozzarella cheese, and vegetarian pepperoni slices. I placed them into the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt and slightly brown. The personal deep-dish pizzas were tasty and satisfying.

If I’m short on ideas for a dessert, I make up a small batch of waffles from a sweetened batter, then top each waffle square with chunky fruit or canned fruit pie filling and garnish with Reddi-Wip or regular whipped cream.

Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes historian Simon Schama. “Even for the most excitable preacher, there was nothing inherently sinful about a waffle.”