One of the challenges to scratch home-cooked meals is adding some excitement to the family dining experience without a lot of extra work or expense. This past week, these waffle omelets met that need for both me and my family.
I already had the waffle iron and all of the ingredients, so there was no extra expense. With regards to the work, waffle omelets were actually easier to make than traditional skillet omelets because I didn't need to add the filling during cooking or fold the omelet over. And, I was able to allow the omelet to cook while I tended to other meal prep tasks for dinner. My family was in agreement-- these were very good.
Here's how to make waffle omelets in your home.
What you'll need:
a waffle iron
non-stick cooking spray or oil and a pastry brush
eggs
omelet fillings, such as ham, cooked bacon, cooked sausage, cooked chicken/turkey, cheese, and diced or shredded vegetables -- per each egg, use about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, 1/4 cup of cooked meat, and 1/3 cup of prepared vegetables (it's important that any meat is cooked before adding to the waffle iron, but veggies can be raw)
salt, pepper, herbs
"wet" topping, such as salsa, cream soup/sauce, or leftover gravy
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- Meanwhile, prepare your filling ingredients. Beat your eggs in a medium-size bowl, then dump your filling and seasoning ingredients into the eggs.
- Prepare your waffle grids, both top and bottom, by spraying very well with non-stick cooking spray or by brushing very well with oil, using a pastry brush. With eggs, it's very important that the grids are well greased.
- When the waffle iron is heated, scoop the eggs and fillings onto the bottom grid, using about 1 egg and about 3/4 cup of filling (just eyeball this) per waffle, then close the waffler. The eggs will expand substantially during cooking. So, when you see the egg and filling on the grids when first added, it may not look adequate. Trust me, it will be once the omelet is cooked.
- (My waffle iron is a Belgian waffler with deep pockets and square waffles. Each square used 1 egg and 3/4 cup of filling ingredients. A shallow waffler or one that makes smaller waffles (the waffler that makes 1 large round waffle that breaks into 4 sections may fit this description) might take a reduced amount of egg and filling ingredients.)
- Cook the omelet until the steam has ended and/or the light goes off. Carefully open the iron and pry the waffle off with a fork. The color should be golden brown. If the omelet is sticking badly, you may have not greased the iron adequately for this preparation or the waffle may not be completely done.
- Waffle omelets are delicious topped with salsa, a cream sauce/cream soup, or gravy.
Like all omelets, this idea is versatile with regards to ingredients. Here are a couple of possibilities:
- post-Thanksgiving -- leftover turkey (chopped well), cheese, leftover veggies plus onions, and seasonings mixed with beaten eggs and cooked in the waffle iron. Once cooked, topped with leftover gravy and a dollop of cranberry sauce on the side.
- New Year's Day -- a filling of chopped leftover ham, cheese, veggies (finely chopped broccoli would be good) and onions. Once cooked, topped with some diluted cream soup or salsa.
Enjoy!
Have you made waffle omelets before? What other uses have you found for your waffle maker?
