Mom’s Belgian BACON STUFFED Waffles

Waffles vs. pancakes… pancakes vs. Waffles. If this question came up 5 years ago I would have said pancakes.  Easily!  For sure pancakes. Even if someone would have asked me a year or 6 months ago… Pancakes for the win!  And then my whole world changed!

I was visiting my fam back home this spring.  I had just spent the day hanging with my little sister while she worked at The Dragonfly Cafe.  (I shouldn’t say I spent it ‘visiting’ because it really was spent drinking far too many of the best iced coffees and eating the most scrumptious, seriously to-die-for, Panini.  I walked back to my parents place, back to my second favorite kitchen, MOMS’s, and it was a busy place.  Waffle iron steaming away. The house smelled so good sausage and vanilla and oh wow just heavenly.  (I was no longer full from previously mentioned ‘to-die-for panini)

Niece and Neph., we’re there and if I remember right,  Dad was drooling, he loves breakfasts, especially for dinner.  I think Niece was pouting at the table, a typical dinner time predicament for her.  Cutest pout ever though; and Mom was helping Nephew operate the coolest waffle iron I’d ever seen.  It’s like a real waffle iron. Like the ones that u flip.  Flipping waffles half way through cooking… perfection!  The bottom side really gets the best golden look and crispy shell, so flipping them gives them that even golden crisp on BOTH sides!  Very cool!

I think I said I wasn’t hungry, but mom gave me a plate and said “too bad” so I dove in head first!  “Oh sweet baby jesus!”  I was not expecting this!  What was I eating?!?!?  This waffle, and may I mention that I eat them plain.  No syrup, peanut butter, honey, jam or even butter for that matter and don’t u dare ask me about that…. ughhh, Nutella. Never in my life will I eat that stuff. Hahaha. I just can’t even fathom it. I mean, no offence, Hubby acts like its gold so there s big jar in this house, but I won’t go near it.  Plain waffles…..

So this amazing flavour that was rocking every tastebud in my mouth was nothing but straight up pure oral pleasure. LOL.

If anything ever was….  this was!

The perfect combination of a crispy outer shell and fluffy interior.  They were so wonderfully sweet yet savory all at the same time and they didn’t even have any bacon stuffed inside.  Mmmm a little vanilla, salt, some butter….  Just too easy and I can’t tell you enough how good the flavour is.  I will never ever buy a store bought product again or Betty Crocker or any kind of mix again.

I love this recipe so much I might frame it and hang it right here on a newly finished wall.  With a big ole hammer and nail.  Nah…. Hubby would lose his shit!   He’s spend so much time making these old walls as perfect as he can.  Haha. If I dare bring out a hammer I’m likely to lose my whole arm all together.

First time I had bacon stuffed waffles was at Hash House A Go Go in Las Vegas.  It comes with sage fried chicken and syrup on top speared with a steak knife LOL. If u haven’t gone….. GO!

I just made these a couple weeks ago as well.  They were the first breakfast in the “Cooking With Hay” Kitchen.  I even served Hubs as he sat on a bar stool at the island.  As long as everyone follows the rules no one will get hurt.  He stays on his side of the island, and I stay on mine.  All will be good.😊

I have been cooking my bacon in the oven for over a year now.  Best way ever. Stays flat and no splatter or greasy mess to deal with.  Preheat your oven to 375 and you’ll need a timer set on 15 minutes once u place the pan in the oven.

Line a baking sheet with foi and place your uncooked bacon. It’s going to shrink up. You can line em up and fit quite a few on a sheet obviously.  I just make sure they don’t touch.

Now start that 15 minute timer.

When the timer goes off they may not be quite done. They may need a minute more or a few more.   Keep in mind they will continue to cook a tiny bit more after u take them out of the oven.

Remove from the oven and lay them on a paper towel to soak up some of that excess grease.  Beautiful bacon!

For the waffle batter mix up the dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a large glass microwaveable bowl melt the butter. Few seconds at a time.

Add in the eggs the milk and the vanilla.

Whisk that up real good. Work it good.

🎵Look at that flick of the wrist…  LOL🎵

I then added the dry mixture to the wet mixture and gently whisked it until it was just smooth. Don’t over mix the batter.  Once it comes together just mix it until and lumps of flour are gone and the batter is smooth.

I like to let my batter rest for a few minutes.  Makes for a super good fluffy waffle.

I have a Cuisinart Griller. It’s like a panini press, a Griller and a waffle maker with all the plates that it uses. It’s fantastic. It was the only thing on my Christmas wish list a few years ago and Santa…. Aka Mom, came through for me!  It goes to work for me about twice a week!

Preheat it, follow your waffle makers instructions.   And spray it with cooking spray so the waffles don’t stick.

Chop up that super fabulous, oh-so-sexy, crispy, crunchy, heavenly BACON!!!

Mmmmmm I love BACON!  Can u smell it wafting in the air?  Taste it’s salty bite on your tongue?  Hahaha. Sorry just playing. I know u want some bacon too!

This is what they look like from the top, once they are all done.

All the bacon peeking out and waving to us saying “EAT ME”

What do you put on your waffles?  Hubbster usually smothers them in crunchy peanut butter and then drowns them in syrup.

Like I mentioned before. My waffle iron doesn’t flip so the bottom side has that perfect golden waffle appearance you would expect, however no bacon can be seen…. that’s just BORING.

Or it’s a good way to surprise your house guests…”Good Morning, here’s a boring waffle” LOL  And then wait for their mouth to drop once they bite inside. The smell of bacon cooking before hand and none appearing on their plate, may make them think you’re bit of selfish.   They’ll get over it once they take a bite though😋

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Mom’s Belgian BACON STUFFED Waffles
Makes 4 Belgian Style Waffles
INGREDIENTS
♥ 1 3/4 CUPS FLOUR
♥ 1 T. BAKING POWDER
♥ 1/2 TSP. SALT
♥ 1 3/4 CUPS MILK
♥ 2 LARGE EGGS
♥ 1/2 CUP MELTED BUTTER
♥ 1 TSP. VANILLA

DIRECTIONS
Preheat waffle iron.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
In a microwave glass bowl melt the butter, beat in the eggs, milk and vanilla.
Combine the wet and dry mixtures and stir until just combined.
Let it sit for a few minutes to develop
Pour the waffle batter into the iron and add the bacon pieces as you like.
Close the lid and be patient.
Mine take almost 10 minutes to cook. I’m going to play with my settings a bit.
Enjoy with your fav waffle condiments

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HURRICANE HALEY’S HELL FIRE CHILI

So many exciting things happening guys!  I don’t even know where to begin.  There has been so much going on that I don’t know where to begin or how to keep track.  The main thing is this… I’ve been putting this brand new kitchen of mine to work, that’s what I’ve been doing!

I’ve pretty much got it all complete and organized and fully operational.  I say that one thing is my favourite, like my Inspiration Cabinet, (as seen in the photo above) and then I turn around and I’m overjoyed by another part of it.   A lot to take in and I’m just so appreciative.

I can’t wait to finally show it off!  You will be the first, I promise!  I’ll post all the reveal pics here before anywhere else

Do you ever just want to try something because it looks good?  Even if you might not even like it? Each grocery trip to Superstore I am enticed by the wall of peppers!  Red Thai chili peppers, Scotch Bonnets, Habaneros, all of them, GLORIOUS!  Can I even handle that kind of heat?  The Habanero sauce I buy in Mexico is so hot I only use a few drops on tacos and such….  I’ve never had a need to buy these cool peppers.  Easy problem to fix.  Create a need for them!  Spicy Chili seems just perfect for this autumn weather!

Time to get chopping.  Soothing, relaxing, therapy… chopping veg.  I know i’m weird.

Start the base of this lean turkey chili, with some onion ang garlic.  Yes that’s right, it’s more ground turkey.  So much better for ya and you really wouldn’t know the difference.  This is one big stock pot loaded with tantalizing tongue flavours.

Add in the celery and the mushrooms and let it all cook until the celery is super tender and the mushrooms lose a lot of their moisture.

I would have used fresh mushrooms but one of the good purposes of chili is to use up some of that stuff that you bought a while ago, even tho it wasn’t on your shopping list. You bought it just cuz it was on sale…multiples of whatever it was?  Oh come on, I can’t be the only one who does this.  If they are staple products then it’s all good because they’ll get used.  Besides its way easier to shop in your pantry than it is to have to put a bra on and go to the grocery store, am I right?

Once you’ve sauteed the onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms add in the cooked ground turkey.

Ok I’m standing in front of all the magnificent colourful peppers in Superstore, trying to make my selection for this chili.

I opted for a package of 3 large Anaheim Peppers, which are mild-med on the hot scale and a package of hot habanero peppers to really give this a kick.

I assure you that yes this would be considered a chili that’s more spicy or hotter than most but I still don’t think it’s like HOT HOT.  I don’t know…. I’m writing this blog at 5:15am, about 7-8 hours after the chili finished cooking…. up all night due to drinking coffee while chef’n it up, perhaps the peppers infused more and I’ll find the chili too hot when I go for another bowl the next time… I’ll have to see, and chances are I still will be in the drafting phase of this post.  For sure will let you know what happens.  See, this is the fun part of trying out new things.  Experimenting, it’s like a little science project for me.  I know for fact that my chipotle dip I make for pizza and potatoes and chicken is way hotter the next day and even hotter the following.  The longer it sits, the more potent it gets.  Now that I’m typing this I’m almost sure it’s going to to be wowzers hot tonight.  hahaha.  Good, it will live up to it’s name.

K DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES!! I REPEAT, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER.

Wear gloves when handling these peppers.

I’ve now burnt myself extremely bad for the second time while dealing with peppers like this.  You might think you’ll be ok or that you’ll be able to handle it but geez, if you’ve never had peppers burns, then just trust me.  Don’t touch!

The oils will get into your skin and no amount of soap and water really works, it’s been over a day since I prepped all this stuff and my hands are still burning even though I really only handled the outsides of the peppers.  I’ve gotten fairly decent at de-seeding and de-ribbing peppers.

I think I wiped down the counter and then rinsed the cloth under water and then the juices rinsed over my hands… Not too sure what happened.  But everything burned, my face got blotchy and swelled up, and I still light my tongue on fire if I suck on one of my fingers to try to soothe the pain… UGH!  How did I let this happen to me again….?

I even used another really cool kitchen gadget.  I’ve had these little do-dad, thing-a-ma-jigs for years now but since I was packed up and working out of that damn temp. kitchen, I wasn’t able to see things.  And lord knows I’m a visual person.

Everything up here in the new kitchen… the “Cooking With Hay” kitchen, has a home and is easy to find and easy to get to.  Convenience!!! I feel like I’m always in a commercial or an actual cooking show.  I’ve had no drawers to put utensils or knives or anything for that matter into.  Haha, oh #firstworldproblems, shut up Haley.

Check out the Typhoon, it’s a dual curved blade with 2 handles, so you rock it back in forth and it minced my habanero peppers into such a fine chop, I was more than pleased.  Although, I’m not really sure if chopping hot things really fine makes the dish more hot than if they were in bigger pieces, you know?

No culinary school for me.  I’d like to go to learn the basics and fundamentals of cooking.  Whats right and whats wrong.  More so just to inspire me to do more.  Try more.  Be more brave to try newer things and to use some new techniques or more challenging skills.

Always hungry for more, food and knowledge, yet also so dysfunctional that the thought of it all makes me shiver.  Where was I…. chili… right…

From the pantry, I found a can of sliced jalapenos, and a can of diced green chilies.  I also used a whole sweet green pepper.  All 3 of those beautiful Anaheim peppers and about 5 habanero peppers.

Now, remember, REMOVE the seeds and the white ribs, WHILE wearing gloves, AND not touching anything.

I calculated exactly how much of everything I used for spices and what not and the flavour and spicy factor was spot on so unless you want your face to sweat off, stick to this.  If you want the heat that you’ll feel the next day… maybe add 1 or 2 more habanero peps, you bad bad thing you!

You can also increase the chili powder or cayenne as well, if you want it hotter, but the point to this chili is the 4 different types of beans used and the 5 different varieties of peppers.

And OH BOY does it ever look good all mixed together.  the colours of the beans and peppers!  Wooo HOOO!  I love it!

K enough talking about them.  Add them to the onion turkey mixture.  I hope you’re using a big pot as this will make a fair amount.

Don’t forget to add in the best ones!!!!  Eeeek  so excited. I only added this one spoon of habanero at first…. I’ll be honest.  I wanted to test the waters.  I eventually added it all in ha ha yassss!

Mix up the dry spices and add them to the pot.  Again it may not look like much but I swear, the flavour is there and then some.  I added a small amount of beef soup mix to give it some depth because ground turkey can be quite bland and not very exciting.

Foods like turkey breast, that are high in protein, help you feel fuller longer and help maintain healthy muscles.  Please note I said turkey breast, just because it’s turkey doesn’t mean it’s healthier than a beef burger or something like that.  It all depends on how much dark turkey meat is included.  I like to use strictly ground turkey breast.

Stir it all up and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often.  This will start to draw out the juices of the peppers and infuse all that nice spice into the meat.

Emptying out my cupboards for this dish… I had 2 large cans of diced tomatoes and a large can of Italian San Marzano tomatoes. I put all 3 cans into my food processor and let it go until it was a nice smooth tomato sauce.

Now pour that into the pot, stir in a small can of tomato paste and give it a good stir.

Bring it gently to a slow boil.

Then reduce the heat back down to medium to simmer.

Mom adds in a can of baked beans to her chili and I copied her.  Add in all 4 types of beans.  The dark red Kidney beans, the white Cannellini beans,  Pinto beans and a can of baked beans.

Again, mix it up and bring it up to a boil.

Reduce heat and let it simmer for about an hour

Voila!!

I couldn’t help myself and dug a spoon into this right away… And then again and again.

Whatever, don’t judge me.  It was for me anyways, I had no houseguest.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese and please enjoy some Hurricane Haley’s Hell Fire Chili.  Turkey Chili made with 4 types of beans and 5 types of peppers!  Hell yes!

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HURRICANE HALEY’S HELL FIRE CHILI

INGREDIENTS
♥ 4 T. OLIVE OIL
♥ 1 LRG. ONION, DICED
♥ 4 CLOVES OF GARLIC, MINCED
♥ 2 CANS SLICED MUSHROOMS
♥ 4 STALKS CELERY, THINLY SLICED
♥ 2 LBS. LEAN GROUND TURKEY BREAST
♥ 1 SWEET GREEN PEPPER, CHOPPED
♥ 3 LRG. ANAHEIM PEPPERS,
♥ 5 HABANERO PEPPERS, MINCED
♥ 1 SM. CAN SLICED JALAPEÑOS, DICED
♥ 1 SM. CAN DICED GREEN CHILIES
♥ 3 T. CHILI POWDER
♥ 1 TSP. CUMIN
♥ 1 TSP. OREGANO
♥ 1 TSP. SALT
♥ 1/2 TSP. SUGAR
♥ 1/2 TSP. GARLIC POWDER
♥ 1/2 TSP. BEEF SOUP MIX
♥ 1/4 TSP. CAYENNE
♥ 1/4 TSP. PAPRIKA
♥ 1 SM. CAN TOMATO PASTE
♥ 3 LRG. CANS DICED TOMATOES, BLENDED IN FOOD PROCESSOR
♥ 2 CANS RED KIDNEY BEANS
♥ 1 CAN CANNELLINI BEANS
♥ 1 CAN PINTO BEANS
♥ 1 CAN BAKED BEANS IN BROWN SUGAR

DIRECTIONS
IN A LARGE STOCK POT HEAT 3 TBS. OF THE OIL OVER MED-HIGH HEAT
SAUTE ONIONS AND GARLIC
ADD IN CELERY AND MUSHROOMS AND SAUTÉ TILL TENDER
IN A SKILLET HEAT THE REMAINING 1 TBS. OF OIL AND COOK THE GROUND TURKEY
ADD TURKEY TO ONION MIXTURE
ADD IN THE PEPPERS AND THE SEASONINGS
GENTLY COMBINE AND LET SIMMER OVER LOW HEAT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, STIRRING OFTEN
ADD IN TOMATO PASTE AND BLENDED TOMATOES
BRING UP TO A GENTLE BOIL AND THEN REDUCE HEAT
ADD IN THE BEANS AND MIX IT UP
ONCE AGAIN, BRING UP TO A GENTLE BOIL AND THEN REDUCE HEAT
SIMMER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OVER LOW HEAT. STIRRING OFTEN

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Fajita Seasoning

Hey Guys!  I had been using a fajita seasoning mix recipe that I got a few years back.  I had posted about some yummy Chicken Fajita’s back in 2012 and I’ve been using this combo ever since.  I just came across one that sounds even better on Food.com.  In previous years I had used those Old El Paso packets when I made fajita’s and this one claims to be alot like it if not better.  I am making some fajita’s tomorrow night for dinner, shrimp ones, chicken ones and some steak ones.  Only because I can’t settle for just one kind.  I just made up a batch of this seasoning and I am going to give it a go tomorrow.  I have high faith that this is a keeper.

Here’s the recipe!

FAJITA SEASONING
2 tablespoons – cornstarch
4 teaspoons – chili powder
2 teaspoons – salt
2 teaspoons – paprika
2 teaspoons – sugar
1.5 teaspoons – chicken bouillon crushed
1 teaspoon – onion powder
1/2 teaspoon – garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon – cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon – cumin

Mix it all together and keep it in a dry container. 

Approximately 2 tablespoons of this mixture equals a packet of that store bought stuff. 
This recipe made just over 6.5 Tablespoons.

This will save you money too as those packets can start to add up after a while.

Please give it a try! 
If you do make it, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think. 

I will be writing a new blog tomorrow after I make up these fajita’s so I’ll have a final verdict for you soon.

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Love Haleykins