Recipe: Oven-Baked Chicken and Waffles

Looking to mix things up at the Saturday morning breakfast table? Why not try this spin on a classic recipe for a breakfast that is packed with protein? Unlike most waffles, our recipe eliminates all those carbs, fats, and excess sodium for a breakfast that will fill you up with the right kind of nutritious ingredients. These mini sandwiches are adorable and tasty – the perfect combination for your kids. You and your family will love the flavor of the crunchy, spicy chicken and delectably fluffy waffles. Just add a dollop of sugar-free maple syrup for a scrumptious and charming breakfast for your family. Your brunch will never be the same!

Pro tip: You'll have some leftover chicken, but that just means you've already got lunch cooked! Dip it in your favorite sauce and call it a day.

Recipe: Oven-Baked Chicken and Waffles

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: 1 waffle sandwich

Ingredients

• 4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• ¾ cup skim milk

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

• 1 cup cornflakes divided

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons black pepper

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs

• 1 egg

• 2 egg whites

• 1 ripe banana, mashed

• 1 ¾ cup skim milk

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 tablespoon stevia (or your favorite no-calorie sweetener)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and gently pound with flat side of tenderizing mallet or rolling pin until chicken breasts are about ½-inch thick. Cut each breast into 3 equal-sized pieces.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and hot sauce.

3. In a large resealable bag, add the chicken pieces, coat with the milk and hot sauce marinade, squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 4 hours to overnight (depending on how much time you have).

4. When the chicken pieces are ready to cook, preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

5. In a food processor, add ½ cup cornflakes, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pulse until cornflakes become a crumbs. Pour into a shallow baking dish and stir in the panko.

6. In a small resealable bag, gently crush the remaining ½ cup cornflakes by hand into small pieces. Transfer the hand crushed cornflakes to the panko crumb mixture.

7. Remove chicken pieces one at a time from the marinade and place in cornflake mixture. Evenly cover each piece of chicken.

8. Arrange chicken in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 400° F, then lower the oven temperature to 350° F and bake until chicken is cooked through and crispy, 5-10 minutes longer.

9. Preheat the waffle iron.

10. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg and egg whites together. Add the mashed banana, milk, applesauce, and vanilla.

11. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sweetener, and salt.

12. Add the wet banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold together until mostly smooth. A few lumps are ok. Do not over-mix, or it will result in tough waffles.

13. Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, and spoon the batter into the iron, cooking as directed on waffle iron.

14. Repeat until the batter is gone, making 4 waffles.

15. To assemble: Break the waffles into quarters and sandwich 1 piece of chicken in between 2 waffle quarters. (There will be 4 extra pieces of chicken. These can be saved for leftovers.)

16. Serve with optional syrup and bacon on each sandwich.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving (1 waffle sandwich):
Calories: 212
Calories from fat: 17
Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 43mg
Sodium: 648mg
Carbohydrates: 35g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 14g
WWP+: 6
SmartPoints: 6

3.1

The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.