Shaq’s loaded potato waffle makes a hall-of-fame-worthy meal
I anticipated epic recipes from Shaquille O’Neal’s “Shaq’s Family Style” cookbook, and I was not disappointed. The buttermilk fried chicken thighs, Louisiana shrimp linguine, and slow-cooker mac & cheese all drew me along as I paged through the book.
Although O’Neal has a “healthyish” section, this is hardly a cookbook for anyone watching their weight. I spotted the Loaded Potato Waffles in the chapter on breakfast for supper, which is something I adore, and came to a screeching halt.
One of my favorite pleasures is a loaded baked potato; in fact, a few years ago, I included a recipe for loaded baked potato soup in Dinner in Minutes. After reading that O’Neal believes the dish “may be one of my greatest achievements to the world,” I was certain I would give these waffles a try.
What could possibly be disliked about crisped shredded potato, bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions in a waffle iron? Adding some sour cream will also help to gild the lily. The cookbook’s entire title specifically states that the recipes are for “feeding family and friends,” hence the serving sizes are typically substantial. When utilizing his “Rapid Waffle Maker & Skillet,” the batter yields 16 waffles, according to his original recipe. In a typical Belgian waffle iron, we discovered that it produced roughly ten.
Although you would think that’s excessive, a large quantity of this batter is actually a good thing because the uncooked mixture freezes incredibly well. When we had house friends around for breakfast, we shared one of the crisp waffles as a side dish along with broiled chicken and salad. A few weeks later, we ate the crisp waffles once more while lounging on a leisurely Sunday morning with our coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit.
Because O’Neal suggests using frozen hash browns—defrosted, of course—the batter is simple to assemble. Put the bacon in the oven to save time, then gather the remaining ingredients, grate the cheese (we reduced it from four cups to three), and slice the scallions. Then, all that is left to do is scoop and waffle. Depending on your waffle maker and how crisp you prefer your waffle to be, each waffle takes between five and seven minutes to prepare. We have a double-sided Belgian-style waffle maker, which saves time by allowing us to cook two waffles at once. (You’ll notice that this meal takes longer to prepare than the majority of Dinner in Minutes recipes. It illustrates the time required to prepare the batter and cook 10 waffles at once.)
While a prettier waffle results from spreading the batter to the edge of the waffle iron, use less filling for the crunchy, spidery edges that make you think of latkes. This dish can be ideal if you’re having visitors over the holidays. The batter can be prepared a day or two ahead, chilled, and then people can scoop and make waffles as they rise and shine.
I’m going to cook another batch of waffles, split them out, and enjoy them on Christmas morning. They would be delicious with a glass of champagne as a late-night snack on New Year’s Eve.
These waffles are delicious “anywhere, anytime,” as O’Neal puts it. Totally in agreement.
Waffle with Potato Loads
Cut the scallions into thin slices, shred the cheese, and add the remaining ingredients while the bacon cooks in the oven or skillet to save time. You neglected to thaw the hash browns. While the bacon cooks, transfer them to a bowl that may be placed in the microwave to defrost.
Depending on your waffle iron, this recipe will yield a different amount of waffles. Plan ahead: Batter that hasn’t been cooked should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for up to two months. If frozen, let it defrost over night in the fridge and then proceed with the recipe.
Storage: Waffles can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days after they have somewhat cooled down. Reheat for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees, or until hot and crispy.
Ingredients one pound of thinly sliced bacon
- 12 ounces of coarsely shredded strong cheddar cheese and three pounds of thawed frozen hash browns (3 cups)
- Three big eggs
- all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup
- Scallions, only the white and light green pieces, cut into 1/3 cup, plus additional for serving
- Melted 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
- Baking powder, two teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon of salt, fine (optional)
- a tablespoon of black pepper, freshly ground
- serving of sour cream (optional)
- chopped chives or scallions greens for serving (optional)
Read the full article on washingtonpost