Bacon Waffles

Happy National Waffle Day!  Who knew there was a day devoted to waffles?  But why not?  They are pretty yummy.  Here is a way to make waffles with bacon right inside!  Wow.  Takes your waffles to the next level.

BACON WAFFLES

1 cup complete pancake mix
3/4 cup water
1 egg
2 TBS oil
Ready Cook Bacon (the kind that is already cooked, the heat and eat kind)

Heat your waffle iron.

Combine the pancake mix, water, egg and oil in a bowl.  Stir until the lumps disappear.  Allow the batter to rest a few minutes.

Lightly grease your waffle iron.  Pour about a 1/4 cup of the batter onto each side of the waffle iron (follow your waffle irons directions).

Place two pieces of the ready bacon on top of each side of the batter.

Close the lid and cook until the steam stops.  Remove and butter while warm.

Look how the bacon gets covered completely by waffle deliciousness.  Like a secret treasure waiting to be discovered,  Sorry, I get excited when bacon is involved.

These are so good!  The sweetness of the waffle with the savory of the bacon works so well together..  Add some good cane syrup (or maple syrup) and it's pretty close to perfect.

Give these a try the next time you make waffles.  You won't  be sorry!

Smothered Chicken

My Mama used to make smothered chicken when I was little and I loved it!  It's a simple comfort dish that happens to be delicious.  It takes a little time, but it requires minimal ingredients and minimal work.  It's one of those recipes that you can make a lot or a little very easily, depending on your needs.  I like to make extra so I can eat it for lunch the next day or debone the chicken to use in other recipes.  Once you see how easy it is, you'll love it too.

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

8-10 pieces bone-in chicken (I like thighs and drumsticks)
1 large onion, sliced (or 2 small)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Creole or Cajun Seasoning (or seasoned salt)
2 TBS oil
1/2 cup water
1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels (this helps the chicken to brown instead of steaming).  Season the chicken with Creole seasoning.

Heat a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat until very hot.  Brown HALF of the chicken at a time.  If you over crowd the pot the chicken won't brown properly.  It should take about 5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

When the first batch is done, remove to a plate while you brown the second batch.

Once both batches of chicken are browned, lower the heat to medium-low and add the onions and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are brown.

Add 1/2 cup water and scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all the brown bits.  This helps make the sauce yummy.

Let cook until most of the water is gone.

Return all the chicken to the pot.

Add enough chicken broth to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken, between 1 and 1 1/2 cups.

Bring it to a boil.  Then, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and let cook 15 minutes more.  This helps the sauce reduce and thicken.

Serve the chicken with the onions and sauce over the top.

This is great with mashed potatoes or rice or pasta.  It has a wonderful caramelized onion, deep, slow-cooked flavor and the chicken is so tender.  It's simple, delicious, old-fashioned goodness.

Bananas Foster Coffee Cake

Bananas Foster is a famous New Orleans dessert of flambeed bananas, brown sugar and rum served over ice cream.  It was invented in the 1950s at Brennan's restaurant.  The owner of the restaurant challenged his chef to create a new dessert using bananas because New Orleans was the major port of entry for the fruit from South America.  The recipe was featured in Holiday Magazine and became a sensation.  It's still served at Brennan's and many other New Orleans restaurants.

This coffee cake is a play on that dessert.  It has similar flavors and is downright delicious!

BANANAS FOSTER COFFEE CAKE

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of buttermilk (see note below)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 TBS baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Filling:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp rum extract
pinch of cinnamon

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 TBS milk


NOTE:  If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own very easily.  Put 1/2 TBS of bottled lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a measuring cup and add whole milk up to the 1/2 cup mark.  Let sit 5 minutes.  This will work just like buttermilk in the recipe!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine softened butter and sugar well using an electric mixer or a whisk.  Be sure the sugar dissolves into the butter.  (Save the butter wrapper to grease your cake pan).

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well until fluffy.

In a separate bowl blend flour, baking powder and salt.  I stir it gently with a whisk until aerated and well combined.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and blend on low speed.

Then add the buttermilk and blend on low speed.

Lastly, add the remaining flour mixture and blend just until combined.

Use the wrapper from the butter to grease a 9 inch cake pan.

Sprinkle in a little flour and shake it around to coat the pan entirely.  Discard any excess flour.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.

Stir in the brown sugar, chopped pecans, rum extract and a pinch of cinnamon.

Spread half the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Spread the banana filling on top.

Then top with the remaining batter.  I dollop it all over then spread it out.  Try to get it to cover the filling completely, if possible.

Bake for 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Let it cool before cutting.

You can see the caramelized banana filling in the middle.

This cake is so moist and delicious but if you want to take it over the top you can make a quick glaze to drizzle on.

Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and enough milk to make it smooth and pourable.  

Drizzle over the cake before serving and it will look like it came from a New Orleans restaurant!

(If you don't have powdered sugar to make this glaze, you can melt some vanilla ice cream and drizzle it over the cake!)

My daughter went on and on about how awesome this cake was.  I ate it for breakfast today with a cup of coffee and wasn't even sorry.  Make this.  Trust me.