Cheesy Polenta Waffle

4.5 from 2 votes
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It’s National Waffle Iron Day, and National Waffle Day is later in the summer, so #SundaySupper is getting you ready with over 35 sweet and savory waffles for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. For a crispy twist on an old favorite side dish made with cornmeal and sharp cheddar cheese, you can call these Cheddar Grits Waffles, but today I’m calling them Cheesy Polenta Waffles.

Cheesy Polenta Waffles

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Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free

Registering for wedding gifts makes you do crazy things. It’s like once you have that little scanner in your hands, Martha Stewart suddenly takes up residence in your brain, and you have visions of guest rooms with 600 thread count sheets and down comforters and crocheted coverlets, tea parties on the veranda, and dinners for twelve where you break out the crystal and china to serve the perfect roast with a glass of the finest French red wine. Except you are in your mid twenties, you don’t even know what a coverlet is, you don’t have a veranda, your dining room can barely fit six people, and you are usually serving them flank steak on paper plates.

In my case, I was realistic about the crystal and china, and instead opted for a set of nice but practical dishes and wine glasses, since I already had “everyday” plates. My kitchen was fairly well-stocked since cooking and baking had been my hobby for a few years. And, well, OK, OK, I did get the 600 thread count sheets, but that was really at the request of The Hubby who is really the thread count snob in the house.

But we had our slightly out there, possible unnecessary things on our registry. Even though I’m not really into deep frying, The Hubby insisted on adding a fancy shmancy deep fryer which we have used once. But I can’t really be too upset with him because I insisted on the big Belgian waffle maker that you flip which I also think we have used once. OK, so maybe more than once, but not often. And part of the reason is that I just don’t want to drag out this ginormous thing to make a few waffles. Plus standard waffle batter doesn’t work all that well in it. You need yeast and stuff. And on a Sunday morning, who wants to be bothered with yeast just to make some waffles.

Sooooo, I ordered a cheap waffle iron from Amazon Prime back in December. You know what? I think I’ve used that little guy more in the few months than I have used the Belgian waffle iron in the first 9 1/2 years of our marriage, like when I made these…

Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free

OK, so the Italians and the Southerners may both beat me up for this, but I think these work as Cheesy Polenta Waffles or Cheddar Grits Waffles. They are made form cornmeal, the same way I make polenta, but aren’t cornmeal waffles because they aren’t cornbread-y. Tradition grits have a slightly different grind than plain old cornmeal (I think), but with the sharp cheddar cheese, they have that cheesy grits flavor. And they definitely work when you top them with barbecue or Cajun-style shrimp (I will share what I did another time). But they would also be great for brunch with a fried egg and some bacon. I’d also love to dunk them in a bowl of chili. They have a toasty, nutty flavor from the cornmeal and browned cheddar cheese. They are crisp on the outside but soft in the middle. It’s totally time tochange up your polenta game. Or your grits game. Or your waffle game. Because seriously, guys, these rock.

It’s so simple – just whip up a basic batch of polenta, stir in some cheese, and plop it into the waffle iron. You may have to play around with quantity based on your waffle iron. They rise slightly, but not a lot, so you’ll need more than the standard waffle. If you add too much, it’s harder to get them crisp, but they are still good. You really can’t mess it up. And if you have leftovers, they reheat fine in the microwave, but throw them in the oven or taster to get even more of that toasty cheese flavor.

Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

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Then get ready for waffles at morning, noon, and night with the recipes at the bottom of this post.

Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free

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A stack of Cheesy Polenta Waffles on a blue plate.
4.5 from 2 votes

Cheesy Polenta Waffles

Savory Cheesy Polenta Waffles can be an easy, make-ahead side dish for a hearty meal like chili. Or, you can serve these homemade waffles for breakfast or brunch, topped with eggs!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups corn meal
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, add the milk and butter and warm over medium heat until the butter melts.
  • Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
  • Continue to stir until the polenta has thickened and is pulling away from the sides of the pot, about 10-15 minutes.
  • Reduce heat, stir in the cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the egg, cornstarch, and baking powder.
  • Preheat waffle iron.
  • Lightly oil the waffle iron, fill with the polenta mixture (a standard waffle iron used about 1/2 cup of the polenta mixture), and cook as directed until browned.
Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Polenta Waffles
Amount Per Serving (1 waffle)
Calories 252 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 46mg15%
Sodium 224mg9%
Potassium 317mg9%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 305IU6%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 245mg25%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Enjoy this Cheesy Polenta Waffles recipe!

Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free

Here’s some great ideas for topping or serving with these waffles…

And here are all of the #SundaySupper sweet and savory waffles…

Sweet and Sinful:

Savory Brinner Winners:

Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free
Cheesy Polenta Waffles - this savory waffle recipe makes a delicious side dish any time you'd serve polenta or even cheddar grits, or serve it for breakfast topped with eggs. | cupcakesandkalechips.com | gluten free

 

11 Comments
  1. Do you think this would work with leftover polenta? This recipe is making my wheels spin. We make polenta for my Italian mother in low (who has alzheimers and can no longer make it herself) and she loves it. But we never seem to do much with leftovers. Blah, blah, blah, anyway this looks great and leftovers or not I’m making this one!

  2. I’m loving the sound of these cheesy waffles!!! We make a lot of traditional waffles around here, but I’d love to add these to our repertoire! I didn’t register for anything too crazy BUT I did let Bill’s aunt pick out some everyday glassware for us. Boy, did I dislike it! Some pieces broke when shipped to us and I didn’t bother to replace them 🙂

  3. Kristen

    I am giggling remembering my husband and I registering after your story. We went practical over China too but did have some ridiculous adds. And we have gone through many waffle makers since our wedding–maybe I should have opted for one of those fancier ones 🙂

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