There’s one thing we’re guaranteed to have in our freezer besides Freezer Burritos and that item is WAFFLES. It’s one of the most requested breakfasts from our 4 year old. He absolutely adores them and I like making them because they’re super easy and I secretly (not so secretly) like to stockpile them. I feel good about having a surplus of waffles in our freezer. I get twitchy when I see we’re running low.

Remember how last week I tried to get him to eat Bacon Fried Rice and failed? Well, I was on a mission to use the leftover bacon and get him to like a new recipe I made. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about parenting, it’s that you should never get in the way of a determined mother. You should also never get in the way of a tired mother. Just ask my husband.

These waffles from the Weelicious Cookbook are fantastic. The melted cheddar gives them a slight chewy bite and when you get a few little chunks of bacon mixed with maple syrup it’s like a sweet & savory explosion. Finally! Two foods combined that my son likes. We have a winner with Bacon Cheddar Waffles. VICTORY.  This pretty sums up how I feel about that.

And we’re off!

Simple ingredients. The only hard thing to do is make the bacon!

Here’s a pro-tip. If you have a Whole Foods near you, get some cooked bacon in the morning from their Breakfast Bar area. Not only does it not weigh A THING, you don’t have to make your house smell like bacon to get a few slices. Bam!

We whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Next comes the wet ingredients. Mix it all in the measuring cup. Try not to spill, TRACY. Ahem, cough cough.

Put the cheese & bacon in the dry mixture. Mix it around to coat. This makes sure that the ingredients get incorporated easily and that there’s no clumpage. Yes, I just made up the word clumpage and I’m staring at that word with a red dotted line underneath it now. Take THAT, spell check. I’m adding it to the dictionary. Done.

Now pour the egg/milk/ oil mixture into the dry ingredients.

Add some fresh cracked pepper and stir!

Get your waffle maker ready. This is the kind I have. It’s been fantastic throughout the years! We got it as a wedding gift and it beeps at you when the waffle is done. That’s important for a person who is a busy-body in the kitchen like myself.

Keep at it!

This recipe made 6 waffles. I got greedy and ate one before I could photograph it.

Please forgive.

And now we have a whole spread! You don’t have to worry about getting some bacon on the plate, it’s in the waffle!

Crispy on the outside, a tad savory and oh so perfect with maple syrup.

SIDE SHOT.

I just couldn’t resist….

Bacon Cheddar Waffles

makes 4 to 6 servings
recipe slightly adapted from the Weelicious Cookbook

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch cracked black pepper
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (I used a Monterey Jack & Cheddar blend)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• maple syrup for serving

Preheat waffle iron. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk until blended. Add the cheese and bacon and mix to coat with the flour mixture (this helps avoid clumping).

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and oil. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk just until combined, taking care not to over mix.

Grease hot waffle iron. Pour about 1/2 cup batter into the waffle iron and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until waffles are golden and cheese is melted. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve with maple syrup.