Top 10 Surprising Foods You Can Make in Your Waffle Iron

It's time to dust off that neglected waffle maker and waffle all the things. Here are 10+ unusual foods that are perfect for cooking in the waffle maker (that aren't waffles).

You can make almost anything in the waffle maker, from snacks to desserts. The dual heating element lets you effortlessly make crispy tofu ^[1]; turn old french fries into waffle fries ^[2]; cook crispy, less messy bacon ^[3]; and cook packaged cinnamon rolls ^[4]. While the possibilities are almost endless, the foods below are in some ways better made in a waffle maker than they are made traditionally.

10. Homemade "Mozzarella Sticks"

These are more like mozzarella bites than they are sticks, but the waffle iron turns out tasty, hot fried cheese ^[5]. Bonus: The divots the waffle iron makes in the breaded cheese are perfect for scooping up dipping sauces.

9. Hash Browns

Throw some frozen tater tots in your waffle iron and you've got restaurant-style hash browns ^[6]. It's an easier way to cook potatoes for breakfast, but, for best results, let the tater tots thaw for a while before waffling.

8. Mac and Cheese

In the video above, mac and cheese is waffled ^[7] to create a substitute for bread for a fried chicken sandwich. You could also just eat the mac and cheese waffles on their own, and no one will think less of you. Protip: Do as Serious Eats does ^[8] and make mac 'n cheese bricks first.

7. Stuffing Waffles

It's a while since Thanksgiving, but any time is a good time for stuffing waffles. Try them in place of bread for turkey sandwiches! Like the waffled mozzarella, the pockets in these stuffing waffles are perfect—for catching gravy.
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6. Brownies and Muffins

Waffle makers are designed to cook flour batters, so perhaps it's no surprise they can turn out great brownies and muffins ^[10]. (Doesn't the photo from Chow, above, look great?) You might be impressed by how quickly you can make these treats with the waffle iron, though—just five minutes or less, usually.

5. Churros

Love churros but not in the mood to deep-fry dough? That's what your waffle iron is for (now). Again, nooks and crannies are perfect for capturing sauce, this time: chocolate!
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4. Cookies

Cookie dough takes just 90 seconds to bake in a waffle iron ^[12]. That means warm, tasty cookies ASAP, like these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that are crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside.

3. Pizza Waffles

Yeah, pizza waffles taste as good as they look ^[13]. Whether you make pizza pockets with crescent roll dough ^[14] or pizza dough or turn leftover pizza into mini calzones ^[15], think of your waffle maker the next time you have a hankering for a homemade pizza creation.

2. Fried Rice

You know what's better than rice? Crispy rice. If you have leftover fried rice or day-old rice, put it in your waffle maker for a different kind of snack.
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1. Frittata

Finally, the ultimate hackable food: Eggs. An egg mixture with your frittata ingredients put in a waffle maker comes out fluffy and divine.
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I've made most of the above in my waffle maker, but these are just scratching the surface of what your waffle iron can do. Check out Will It Waffle?^[19] (and the corresponding book ^[20]) to learn how you can also make steak, apple pie, shrimp wontons, and more with your non-unitasking waffle maker.

Bonus:

Illustration by Fruzsina Kuhári.Photos by Serious Eats, Chow, One Good Thing By Jillee, Alexandra Grablewski.

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