Cauliflower waffles are sandwiched with melted cheese for a delicious alternative to regular grilled cheese.
Yes, it’s another cauliflower post! I bought way too much cauliflower when it was on sale recently and I’m scrambling to use it all up. Luckily, these fun waffles keep pretty well. I made a large batch and stored the rest and we’ve been reheating them and sandwiching them with cheese for a grilled cheese waffle sandwich.
I can’t believe the end of March is already here. It’s been a really busy month, as usual. What free time we’ve had has been spent gardening and preparing taxes. Last year was my first year planting tomatoes and I was surprised at how easily they grew. This year, we planted more tomatoes and I’m also trying eggplant and zucchini. I’m hoping to harvest enough zucchini to make a lot of zucchini noodles. Maybe next year I should try cauliflower!
Cauliflower Waffle Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups finely riced raw cauliflower (see note)
- 2 cups Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs (see note)
- 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower, breadcrumbs, 1 cup of parmesan cheese and eggs into a large mixing bowl. Mix with a large spoon until everything is evenly combined and wet.
- Preheat your Belgium waffle iron and grease both the top and bottom grids.
- Measure 1/2 cup packed cauliflower mixture. Place 1/2 cup cauliflower into your palm and then compact the cauliflower mash a few times between your palms before forming a ball. You need to compact it first, otherwise the mix will become loose while cooking and will be hard to remove off the iron. Place ball into the middle of your waffle grill and press waffle iron down as far as you can. Your cauliflower will not spread across the entire waffle iron, instead it should spread enough to form waffles that are about 3.5 inches in diameter.
- Cook cauliflower waffles until they are a crispy, dark golden brown, about 7 minutes. Avoid opening the waffle iron too early to check on them. You will need to cook the waffles a few minutes longer than when the iron indicates the waffles are done, so wait at least for the ready light before checking on your waffles. The longer the waffles cook, the firmer they will become. If your waffles are falling apart when you remove them, then they likely need to be cooked longer. I also recommend you use a good cookie spatula to help remove the waffles from the bottom grid as the first 1-2 may stick a little more.
- Repeat with remaining cauliflower, re-greasing the waffle iron before each one. You should have enough batter to make 8 (1/2 cup) waffles with a little batter leftover (about 1/4 cup) for a mini one.
- When waffles are finished, place one back onto the bottom grid. Add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese on top, making sure to push cheese into the crevices of the waffle. Place another waffle on top. Press your top waffle iron down, trying best to align your waffle iron with the grids on your waffles. Hold your waffle iron down until cheese is melted. Remove and repeat with remaining waffles. If you do not plan on using all of your waffles at once, you can store remaining ones in the freezer.
Notes
- To make the cauliflower rice, I put my cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulsed until they resembled coarse crumbs.
- Make sure you used seasoned panko otherwise, you'll need to add Italian seasoning to your mix.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
