Bacon Cheddar Waffles for Dinner

Bacon Cheddar Waffles are savory waffles for dinner. Packed with smoky fresh and delicious flavors, you'll wow everyone at the dinner table with this unexpected dish.

First of all, let's be clear about something -- just because I'm pitching Bacon Cheddar Waffles for dinner, doesn't mean they aren't also amazing for breakfast, brunch and lunch!

I've served these savory dinner waffles for various meals over the years and they're always a huge it.

I mean c'mon, smoky bacon, melting cheese and fresh green onions, all encased in a perfectly seasoned waffle that's soft on the inside and crispy on the outside -- it simply doesn't get much better.

Who doesn't love breakfast for dinner, anyway? 😉

Jump to:

• The Star Ingredients
• How to Make Them
• Important Tips to Keep Waffles from Sticking
• Variations
• What to Serve with Savory Waffles for Dinner
• Can you make them ahead?
• Freezing Waffles
• Reheating Waffles
• More Must-Try "Breakfast for Dinner" Recipes
• Bacon Cheddar Waffles Recipe

The Star Ingredients

• bacon - Applewood smoked bacon is my first choice as it has a subtle sweetness to it, which when combined with the smoky flavor, is dreamy. While I recommend it, feel free to use your favorite bacon.
• scallions (green onions) - Chose scallions with firm bright green tops and creamy bottoms. We use the whole onion in this recipe, both for color and crunch.
• cheddar cheese - I use a mild cheddar and I grate it myself. White, orange, mild, sharp or extra sharp, this is your call -- use your favorite. Pro tip: While you can purchase pre-grated cheese, the quality is best when you grate it yourself -- it will melt more evenly and it doesn't contain any additives this way.

Fun Fact: Did you know that most orange cheeses are made orange with annatto seeds, a natural food dye derived from the fruit of the Achiote tree? I use annatto oil for all sorts of things.

How to Make Them

- Cook the bacon until it's golden and crispy. Remove the strips from the pan and let them drain on paper towels.

- Add the scallions to the bacon fat left in the pan, roughly chop or crumble the bacon, add it back to the pan and mix it with the scallions. Recipe tip: If there's an excessive amount of bacon fat left in the pan after you remove the bacon and onions, use some of it in place of the oil that's added to the batter. And on the flip side, if the pan seems dry, use a little extra oil.

- Combine the flour with the baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper. 

In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add this to the dry ingredients, fold in the bacon-onion mixture, cheese and oil.


- With a bit of oil for each batch (even in a non-stick waffle iron/maker), add the batter to the waffle iron, using it according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Mine is fairly standard and uses about ⅓ to ½ cup batter per waffle.)

Important Tips to Keep Waffles from Sticking

• Above all, it's important to have a good waffle maker, that's been used and cleaned properly. Most should have non stick plates, but you still need to grease them for insurance -- especially with cheese in the mix. If you start out using your waffle maker correctly, you should be able to consistently get crispy waffles that don't stick. I have this 4-slice waffle maker and I really like it.
• The best way to grease the waffle maker is with a heat resistant silicone pastry brush. This way it'll get inside all of the grooves. Don't use a spray! Sprays can create a build up over time and could ultimately increase sticking.
• I like to use whatever I use in the recipe for greasing the iron, in the case of this recipe, olive oil.
• Do not add the batter to the iron until it's completely preheated. Most waffle irons will have a light indicator (and sometimes a beeping sound) when it's ready -- for both preheating and for when the waffles are done cooking. If you add the batter too soon, you could have sticking problems, and in addition, they might not brown properly.

- Let the waffles cool for a few minutes on a baking rack before serving.

Variations

• Vegetarian? Even though these are called Bacon Cheddar Waffles, you're allowed to skip the bacon. 😉 Or, if you would like to turn these into interesting vegetarian savory waffles, substitute the bacon with chopped sun-dried tomatoes marinated in oil. (If you do this, you won't need a skillet -- just mix the sun-dried tomatoes with the scallions.) Satuéed mushrooms would also be an excellent addition.
• Want gluten-free savory waffles? You can make these gluten-free by using a 1 to 1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. My first choice is always Cup4Cup. They will likely look a bit thicker with this flour -- the delicious flavor though, will be the same.
• Try other hard cheeses -- Swiss, Gruyère, Asiago or Fontina would all be great.

What to Serve with Savory Waffles for Dinner

Savory dinner waffles are great with salads, chicken and pork dishes and roasted vegetables. Below are a handful of delicious suggestions . . . .

Salads

• Grilled Little Gem Lettuce Salad
• Fried Lemon Caesar Salad
• Apple Cranberry Salad with Chicken
• Persimmon Salad with Honey Pistachios

Chicken and Pork Dishes

• Quinoa Fried Chicken
• Air Fryer Fried Chicken
• Apricot Chicken Thighs
• Perfect Spiced Pulled Pork
• Peach Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

Roasted Vegetables

• Cumin Roasted Vegetables
• Cauliflower Steaks with Orange-Basil Butter
• Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries
• Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower with Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Can you make them ahead?

• While Bacon Cheddar Waffles are still incredibly tasty the day after they're made, they're the best right out of the waffle maker.
• If you do make them a day ahead, cool completely and then refrigerate in an airtight container, or wrapped well in plastic wrap.

Freezing Waffles

The waffles can be frozen for up to a month. Here's how:

• Let them cool completely before you store and freeze them.
• With a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each one, place them in a freezer bag in a couple of layers.
• Be sure they're laying flat in the bag, and that they're placed in a flat space in your freezer.

Reheating Waffles

• To reheat, add them in a single layer on a backing sheet (or ideally on a cooling/baking rack, on a baking sheet), and place them in a 375℉ oven until hot, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• For heating just one or two, a toaster or toaster oven is also a great way to do it.
• Another way to reheat them is by carefully fitting them back into a preheated waffle maker and leave them in there for a minute or so. (Thank you Jeff from Make it Like a Man for this tip!)
• If you're reheating them from frozen, it's best to thaw them in the refrigerator overnight first.

More Must-Try "Breakfast for Dinner" Recipes

• Smoky Chipotle Nachos With Eggs
• The Ultimate Breakfast Taco Recipe
• Poblano Egg and Sausage Casserole
• Bacon Hash Brown Casserole with Eggs

Whether you have bacon cheddar waffles for dinner or breakfast, I hope you love them!

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