Cheddar, Apple and Bacon Waffles

This Cheddar, Apple and Bacon Waffle is a sweet and savory spin on your favorite breakfast indulgence. Served with sautéed apples and syrup for an unforgettable breakfast or brunch!

Well, it’s done. Yesterday was my last day of college classes. All I have left to do now is finish my finals (all of which are take home exams – thank you professors!!) and graduate. That’s it. It’s surreal.

As for the post grad part, it looks like I’ll be heading back down to San Diego again! Doing what is to be determined, but I am ditching the clouds and rain of the Pacific Northwest and heading back to the sunshine. I’m definitely going to miss the rain and the clouds though, and the city, and my college campus.

It’s too weird that it’s all ending, and still hasn’t hit me yet, so let’s move on and talk about waffles. That is something I could talk about for hours – especially these waffles.

These were inspired by a waffle I had at a super random, tiny pancake house four years ago almost to the day. My friends and I were driving home from an event about three hours away from campus (the same event I’ll be headed off to in a few hours…can’t wait!) and STARVING, so we stopped at the pancake place to devour some breakfast.

I ordered a bacon and cheddar waffle, because damn – it sounded so good. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I hate eggs. Obviously not in baking, but I don’t eat eggs any way. Baked, fried, scrambled, omelet…none of it. This makes breakfast a serious challenge, especially because I usually don’t want cloying sweet first thing in the morning and usually, when out to breakfast, cloyingly sweet is all their is for the non-egg eaters.

So when I saw bacon and cheddar in a waffle, I was all about it. It didn’t disappoint, and I’ve been wanting a savory waffle ever since. Enter: Cheddar, Apple and Bacon Waffle. This waffle is everything I remembered, with the addition of sautéed apples to add a little texture and freshness.

The waffle batter itself is super simple – just stir everything together. The apples require a little time simmering in the pan, but it takes 10 minutes and is mostly hands off. Really, the hardest part of these is putting them in the waffle iron and waiting until their ready so you can get your hands on them.

The cheddar cheese forms little crispy cheese edges, the bacon adds a super nice salty, savory smokiness to the dish, and the apples add the freshness that lighten up the cheese and bacon flavors a little bit. All of these flavors pressed into a not-too-sweet, crispy waffle with a fluffy interior and you’ve created my breakfast heaven. Add some apples on top (and a little of the syrupy juice they created), maybe a little syrup, and you’ll love it.

Seriously – don’t knock it until you try. These savory waffles are some you don’t want to miss. If your mom is adventurous, serve her up a plate of these this Mother’s Day and bask in her gratitude. These are the breakfast of champions! Enjoy :)

Cheddar, Apple and Bacon Waffle

Save Print Author: Rachel Conners Serves: 6 waffles Ingredients For the apples

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith or Gala apples

For the waffles

2 cups (9½ oz) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 whole eggs, beaten
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumble
Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Directions For the apples

Combine butter and brown sugar in a sauté pan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the butter is melted and the butter and sugar are combined. Add apples and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the apples are beginning to soften. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Remove about ½ cup cooked apples and chop into smaller chunks to go into the waffle.

For the waffles

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, and chopped apples. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
Pour the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200ºF oven until ready to serve. Serve topped with the remaining apple slices.

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