Whole Grain Brunch: Cornbread Waffles with Corn Flake Chicken
We’ve got a treat for you today. Not one but two chicken and waffle recipes modified for healthier takes on this popular and typically indulgent brunch option. Sarena Shasteen of the Non-Dairy Queen shares her gluten free recipe for Cornbread Waffles with Corn Flake Chicken below. For a different variation, check out Cara Lyons’ Sweet Potato Almond Waffles with Crispy Oven Baked Corn Flake Chicken combination. Either way you cut it, you’ll be in chicken and waffle heaven.
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We are a good old Southern family in this house hold when it comes to food. Cornbread and fried chicken are an absolute favorite for all of us! Brunch is a favorite meal for our family too, so I decided to make the best of both worlds. I like to put a healthy spin on our meals here, so I love making corn flake chicken instead of the greasy fried version. The crispy cornbread waffles perfectly compliment the chicken, which is light with a touch of fresh rosemary and hint of sweetness from the corn flakes.
While I love cooking up a feast, the weekends means relaxation for everything including our meals. We normally eat one large meal and then snack later in the day. This meal gives you snack pieces to enjoy throughout the day! You can easily prep the waffle batter the night before so there will be no rushing around to get a feast on the table. Also, soaking the flours really softens them up to make the perfect fluffy-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside waffles. I plugged in my waffle iron to heat up, coated my chicken and then made my waffles while the chicken baked…and enjoyed my coffee.
Cornbread Waffles with Corn Flake Chicken
WAFFLES
makes 20 regular waffles
Ingredients:
5 cups water or regular almond milk or a mix (I used 2 cups water and 3 cups almond milk)
1/2 cup egg whites or 2 eggs or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (for vegan version)
1 teaspoons salt
20 drops vanilla stevia (or 2 TBSP sugar or honey)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons baking powder
Method:
1. In a large glass bowl, combine the water, milk, cornmeal, corn flour, rice flour, egg, salt and stevia. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. When you’re ready to cook your waffles, add the apple cider vinegar and baking powder to the batter. Heat your waffle iron and prepare the waffles according to your manufacturer’s directions. These can be prepared the day before and reheated in the oven or toaster oven.
CHICKEN
Ingredients:
6 cups Erewhon Organic Corn Flakes
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
2 eggs
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 eggs or 1/2 cup almond milk (for vegan)
garlic powder
salt
pepper
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, grind the corn flakes and chopped rosemary to resemble a coarse meal. Don’t make into a flour, make sure you leave some larger chunks. Pour your cornflakes into a bowl. In another bowl, whisks your eggs. If your chicken breasts are large, cut in half to make them fit well on your waffles. Season your chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Next dip your chicken into the egg mixture and then into the cornflake mixture, press the corn flakes into the chicken so it coats well. Place the coated breasts onto prepared pans. Spray the tops of the chicken with olive oil spray.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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Sarena has always had a passion for healthy cooking, nutrition and food writing. Upon graduating from culinary school, she spent most of her career as a menu designer and catering consultant. When she eventually discovered there were multiple restrictions from dairy, gluten and soy within her family, Sarena decided to change her food focus to learn more about food allergies and intolerances to help others find a balance due to these restrictions. Now, a food writer, recipe developer, Specialist in Fitness Nutrition and blogger of the The Non-Dairy Queen, Sarena has discovered that cooking can still be fun, healthy and delicious while accommodating multiple dietary restrictions.
Jun 01, 2012 @ 09:39:00
Too funny that they both did chicken and waffle recipes. Both look amazing though!
Jun 01, 2012 @ 15:46:00
It was so much fun making this! I can’t believe that Cara and I both had the same idea!