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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
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…
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.
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Then get ready for waffles at morning, noon, and night with the recipes at the bottom of this post.
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Cheesy Polenta Waffles
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.
Did you make this?
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Categories:
Enjoy this Cheesy Polenta Waffles recipe!
Here’s some great ideas for topping or serving with these waffles…
- Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork
- Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes
- Bill’s Chili
- Tomato Broccoli Sausage Crustless Quiche
And here are all of the #SundaySupper sweet and savory waffles…
Sweet and Sinful:
- Banana Split Waffle Cake by The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles by Alida’s Kitchen
- Boston Cream Pie Waffles by Crazed Mom
- Chocolate Cherry Beet Waffles by Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Chocolate Chip Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches by Turnips 2 Tangerines
- Chocolate Pizelles – The Italian Waffle by GirlAbroad
- Churro Waffles by The Redhead Baker
- Coconut Waffles by Omnivore’s Cookbook
- Dark Chocolate Waffles with Cherry Syrup by The Chef Next Door
- Easy Peasy Blueberry Sauce for Waffles by Pine Needles In My Salad
- Fluffernutter Waffles by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Irish Cream Waffles with Whiskey Strawberries by Tramplingrose
- Japanese Green Tea Matcha Cream Topped Vegan Waffles by NinjaBaker
- Maple Bacon Waffle Ice Cream Cake by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake Waffles by Cookin’ Mimi
- Red, White and Blueberry Sourdough Waffles by Cooking With Carlee
- S’Mores Waffles by The Freshman Cook
- Spiced Banana Nut Waffles by Magnolia Days
- Strawberry Shortcake Waffles with Cinnamon Whipped Cream by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Strawberry Waffle Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Waffle Kebobs with Maple Yogurt Dipping Sauce by A Mind Full Mom
- Yeasted Waffles with Peach Syrup by Pies and Plots
Savory Brinner Winners:
- Asiago Waffle Egg Sandwiches by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Bacon Cheeseburger Waffles (Low Carb) by My Life Cookbook
- Bacon Waffles by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Biscuit Waffle Breakfast Stacks by The Weekend Gourmet
- Bleu Pig Potato Waffles by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Breakfast Poutine Waffles by She Loves Biscotti
- Cheesy Bacon Waffles with Spicy Ketchup by Momma’s Meals
- Cheesy Polenta Waffles by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Cheesy Spinach Waffles with Ham by Wholistic Woman
- Chicken & Waffles by Family Around the Table
- Corn Waffles Nachos-Style by Caroline’s Cooking
- Croque Monsieur Waffles by Un Assaggio of Food, Wine & Marriage
- Eggs Benedict Cauliflower Waffles by Life Tastes Good
- Korean Fried Chicken and Ramen Waffles by kimchi MOM
- Loaded Gluten Free Cornbread Waffles by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
- Luau Egg Benedict Waffle by Brunch-n-Bites
- Mexican Cornbread Waffles by Sunday Supper Movement
- Monte Cristo Waffle Sandwich by Palatable Pastime
- Pulled Pork Waffle Tacos by The Crumby Cupcake
- Pumpkin Cornbread Waffles with BBQ Chicken Thighs by Our Good Life
- Scallion Waffles by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Sweet and Spicy Pecan Shredded Beef Waffles by Family Foodie
- Waffled Falafel Sandwiches by Food Lust People Love
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I’ve only had polenta once before and it wasn’t done well. I’ve been avoiding it sense. Maybe I should try it in waffle form!
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!
Denise, I think leftover polenta would be perfect to use in these polenta waffles!
What a great way to enjoy polenta!
lolol I got the fancy Belgian waffle maker too-but mine works fine with normal, non-yeasty waffles and I use it a a lot 😛 aaaand yeah I’d prob try these waffles in it! Savory waffles can be sooo tastyyy
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 🙂
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 🙂
ooooh yeees! delicious…