Thursday, August 14, 2014

Crispy Chicken Bacon Waffle Wrap with Maple Vinaigrette

So...I think I'm going to start wrapping all my meals in waffles.  It just makes sense.  

It may sound strange...but I promise it is delicious. I know it's natural to think of a waffle as a breakfast food, but you could truly eat this meal at any time of the day!  

Also - these aren't just your regular run-of-the-mill waffles.  These are cheddar waffles. Yeah...that's right.  There is cheddar baked right into every little delicious square.  How awesome is that?  Maybe I'm the only one geeking out right now but I can't help it.  I'm totally going to start putting cheese right in my waffle mix more often.  Think of the possibilities...an egg breakfast waffle wrap? Or maybe a bacon cheeseburger with cheddar waffle instead of a bun?  Let me know if you come up with any other ideas! :) 


The maple vinaigrette adds a nice sweet touch to this savory wrap and it compliments the chicken nicely.  Even though you may be able to put anything on a waffle, maple syrup is still a waffle's best friend in my eyes.  hope you enjoy these as much as I did...no matter what time of day it is! :) 

Crispy Chicken Bacon Waffle Wrap with Maple Vinaigrette 
Serves: 2 - 4

Ingredients:

Crispy Chicken:
2 - 3 Chicken Breast
Buttermilk (enough to cover chicken, 1½ - 2 cups)
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
1½ - 2 cups Flour
½ tsp Pepper
2 tsp Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp. Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder

Waffles:
I make my homemade waffle mix in a big batch so I can use one cup of the dry mix whenever I want to whip up a batch and simply add the wet ingredients below.  You can see my full recipe here

1 cup dry waffle mix (or Bisquick)
1 egg
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon (if desired) 
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
½ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Maple Vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar (Bragg’s brand recommended)

Instructions:

For the Crispy Chicken:
In a gallon size Ziploc bag, pour in the butter milk and add 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp pepper. (Can also add in hot sauce or chili powder if desired…which I always doJ). Seal the bag, place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to marinate. Take out of fridge for at least 15-30 minutes prior to frying so it can come to room temperature.

Heat at least 2-3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven to about 375°F.  This is a TON of oil…I opted to use the lower end but that could result in you needing to cook the chicken longer and flip often if it is not full covered by the oil. 

In a Ziploc bag or shallow bowl mix together the Flour, Garlic Salt & Pepper, Paprika and Chili powder until well blended.

Place the buttermilk soaked Chicken one piece at a time into Flour mixture and generously coat all over.
Carefully place all the coated Chicken once at a time into the hot oil and deep fry for 5 - 6 minutes.

Remove, drain on a paper towel lined plate and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Add the Chicken back to the hot oil once more this time for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, remove, drain and keep warm in 300°F oven until ready to serve.  We are basically deathly afraid of under-cooked chicken, so once again – I cooked mine longer, plus the pieces I had were pretty thick.  It might be better to butterfly the breasts and separate so that they don’t take as long to cook, plus a thinner piece of chicken will fit nicely into the waffle wrap!

For the Waffles:
In a bowl, mix together homemade waffle mix, Egg, Milk, Oil, Salt & Pepper and your favorite shredded cheese. Mix well.

Heat waffle iron, spray with cooking spray, pour about ¼-½ cup or recommended amount of batter for your waffle iron, so that you don't have a spill over, close cover and cook for about 4 - 5 minutes or until just golden.

For the Dressing:
Mix Maple syrup and apple cider vinegar in small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

To Assemble:
Fold a warm large round waffle in half add 1 chicken breast, lettuce, crispy smoked bacon, tomatoes, extra cheese, and generously drizzle Maple Vinaigrette and serve with additional Vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from Little Figgy

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