Get more out of your waffle iron

You might have a waffle iron languishing in the back of your cupboard that you dig out  a few times a year to make waffles. But it doesn’t have to be hidden away in between those Sunday brunches: there are gobs of recipes that make excellent use of the waffle iron. It’s not that surprising if you think about it; a waffle iron is a lot like a panini press or griddle.

What makes waffle irons even better, in some cases, than those appliances is the amount of surface area. By utilizing those offset squares, you are assured of more crunchy bits to complement the chewy pieces of whatever food you put into it.

You don’t have to look far to find interesting recipes. Food Network features 12 recipes you didn’t know you could make in a waffle maker, including a waffled pizza. And whether or not it is good, waffled falafel is fun to say. Indexed blog Serious Eats shows us how to elevate leftovers with a waffle iron, In addition. Serious Eats features 39 delicious waffle recipes, including Waffled miso-sesame tofu with waffled sticky rice.

There are also entire books on the subject of expanding your waffle maker’s repertoire, including Will it Waffle?: 53 Irresistible and Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron by Daniel Shumski and an oldie-but-goodie from Dorie Greenspan titled Waffles from Morning to Midnight.

Photo of Waffle-iron hash browns from  Serious Eats by Daniel Shumski