When I posted that Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread a couple weeks ago, I had a thought that I could give a similar treatment to my Cornmeal Waffles. That’s to say I didn’t plan on posting two cornmeal-based recipes so close together, but I couldn’t get that idea out of my head…and so, here we are.
With minimal changes to the source recipe (swapping all the vegan ingredients for eggs and dairy), a bit more liquid, a brick’s-worth of grated cheddar and some sliced scallions, I was able to take those sweet-leaning waffles in a decidedly savory direction.
You know, one that involves stacking smoked salmon and avocado and sriracha and lacy fried eggs on top of Cheddar Scallion Cornmeal Waffles and calling it breakfast or lunch or brunch or whatever.
Aren’t these pretty? I’ve found my other waffles a bit difficult to photograph, but these are so dynamic and colorful! Love those golden, cheesy wells and all the fun toppings.
I am huge fan of all things onion, so scallions were a natural choice as a mix-in. Feel free to leave them out if they’re not your thing, or swap ‘em for chopped herbs or minced jalapeños or anything else your heart desires.
Like my other cornmeal-based recipes, Cheddar Scallion Cornmeal Waffles are naturally gluten-free. Also, they freeze & reheat like a dream, so you can stash them and then throw together a meal at the drop of a hat. Or eat them with your hands like a wild animal while writing a blog post. Not that I’d know anything about that.
Cheddar Scallion Cornmeal Waffles {Gluten-Free}
makes 16-17 4-inch waffles
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup thinly-sliced scallions (about 3 small scallions)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted & cooled slightly
For the waffle iron:
cooking spray
For serving:
smoked salmon
avocado
sriracha
soft-boiled, poached or fried eggs
thinly-sliced scallions
Preheat oven to 200F. Place a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
Heat waffle iron according to package directions.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs until pale. Add dijon, followed by buttermilk. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Use a silicone spatula to fold in grated cheddar and scallions. Stir in melted butter, followed by egg/buttermilk mixture.
Grease waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour a 1/4 cup of the waffle batter into each well of the iron and close the top. Let cook until steam dissipates and the wells are turning golden, about 6-8 minutes.
Transfer cooked waffles to the prepared rack-over-pan and place in the oven to keep warm. Re-grease the waffle iron and cook remaining batter.
Serve waffles with lox, sour cream, eggs and/or scallions, if desired. Enjoy immediately.
Leftovers may be layered with parchment, placed in a freezer bag, and frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the toaster.
When I officially wore myself out baking a few weeks ago and took an 
But then, on the sixth day (Friday), I woke up thinking about Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread. I had all the ingredients (hi, I keep a weird bag of jalapeños in my crisper) and I wanted to make it so bad—the way only someone who obsessively bakes gets about a recipe, as though my body might just go into autopilot and start whisking together ingredients without permission from my brain.
Then Monday came and lo,* there was Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread, and it was good. Still is good. Like really good. It’s got crisp edges and a brown lid, but the center is tender and almost custard-like from the additions of sour cream and eggs. As it’s made with only yellow cornmeal, there’s no way to overmix and make it tough—difficult to overdevelop the gluten when there is none!
As far as spice levels go, I like to live on the edge….but I used three jalapeños with seeds in the first round and sort of regretted it. This one (the second) is still almost too spicy for me, even after discarding half the seeds, but a bevy of shredded sharp cheddar and a few tablespoons of sugar offset all that intensity. If you’re sensitive to heat, maybe forgo seeds altogether, reduce the amount of jalapeño or try my 
I’ve been making Thanksgiving food since mid-October, and while that’s my idea of a good time, it’s a bit of a relief that I’m not going to be anywhere near an oven on Thursday. My family traditionally travels and makes reservations for this particular holiday, so all I have to do is pack that skirt I marked as my “Thanksgiving outfit” back in September, get on a bus to D.C., and leave the cooking to a bunch of chefs.
We’ve been doing this routine in different cities since 1997, so it’s second nature now. In fact, the only issue I have with my family’s Thanksgiving tradition is that I’ll have to wait til Christmas to make them this Baked Feta with Sautéed Dates.
Poor them—they don’t know what they’re missing. I do, though, and so I am here to tell you that you absolutely, unequivocally should make this three days from now.
I know. I know! The menu’s set. You’ve made the list. But just go ahead and add a brick of feta and some dates to the tail end. I promise it’s worth the change in plans.
You’ll only need five ingredients (plus something carby for serving) and fifteen minutes to put this appetizer together, and I would be utterly shocked if it lasts more than another fifteen minutes. I was alone when I made the feta and dates pictured here, and I had trouble keeping myself from eating half the brick in one go.
The feta is baked for ten minutes and broiled for a couple more. It turns soft and salty with crispy edges and corners that slump in the most pleasing way. It’s brushed with olive oil all over and honey on top before going into the oven, so it gets brown and blistered and…seriously, good luck not hoarding this all to yourself.
It won’t melt—feta doesn’t do that—but it will soften to the point where you can practically slice it with the edge of a cracker. Frankly, you could serve the feta by its lonesome and it’d disappear in minutes, but then you’d be denying yourself the magic of Sautéed Dates, and that’d be a real shame.
I mean, if there’s anything in the world that can stand up to the wonder that is Baked Feta, it’s these dates. They’re sautéed in olive oil for a minute or two while the cheese is in the oven, just until the edges begin to caramelize. The results are mostly sweet and a little savory—they’re great with yogurt, labneh and hummus. Here, they’re spooned over the warm feta and sprinkled with finishing salt before being scooped up with crackers or baguette or whatever and shoveled into your mouth as quickly as possible because—oh my goodness—this stuff is delicious.
Salty, sweet, cheesy, savory, fruity, eyes-rolling-back-in-your-head good. You’re not going to want to share, but you should because…manners, I guess? But go ahead and plan to make this for every party between now and January 2nd, because if you can’t eat a brick of cheese during the holidays, when can you?!
Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!
You may not be able to tell from the bevy of desserts I post every week, but I am a huge proponent of eating your greens. Almost every meal I make for myself involves a huge bed of arugula. Yes, for real.
That said, on Thanksgiving, there are so many sides that leafy greens can get lost in the mix or left out entirely. To that, I counter this: Creamed Kale with Crispy Breadcrumbs. It’s the sort of “eat your greens” situation that is absolutely welcome sidled up to 
This is a vegetable side dish that stretches the meaning of the word “vegetable.” Yes, there is kale in there—a lot of it—but it’s coated in a sauce of butter, heavy cream, milk, cream cheese and parmesan, and topped with buttery breadcrumbs. Dietetic, this is not. On Thanksgiving, though, who cares? If there were ever a day for eating a creamy, cheesy, crispy-topped side and calling it a serving of vegetables, this is the one.
If you’re wondering why I used kale here instead of going for classic creamed spinach, the answer is simple: kale’s texture holds up. Even after the blanching, shocking, sautéing, saucing, and baking, it still has texture. It contrasts perfectly with the crispy breadcrumbs instead of getting lost in the cheesy sauce. And it’s pretty. And I just *like* kale.
Now, I know that adding one more thing to your Thanksgiving menu is never something to be taken lightly. Time and energy are at a premium at the holidays! Luckily, Creamed Kale with Crispy Breadcrumbs is perfect for making ahead. You can stir together the creamed kale part of the equation a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to serve, top it off with the breadcrumb mixture and bake until brown, bubbly, and so creamy and wonderful that even I—a person who has written repeatedly about 
Looking for something a little lighter? Try my 
Remember those 
For those of you wondering what the heck pimento cheese is, it’s a creamy spread made of shredded cheddar, mayonnaise, sweet pimento peppers, and freshly-cracked black pepper. It’s incredibly popular in the southern U.S.—you’ll see it at every baby shower, cookout and picnic. You can buy the stuff in tubs in the grocery stores down there, but it’s next to impossible to find here, so I 
Here, I’ve taken the basic ingredients of that southern staple (minus the mayo) and folded them into a batch of cornmeal biscuit dough. The results are cheesy, spicy, sweet-pepper studded magic!
These are the cheese biscuits of my summertime dreams, and soon, yours. And those of your family and friends too, permitting you take a batch to your Fourth of July festivities tomorrow. You can serve them plain or with butter…
…but maybe crisp up some bacon and grab some tomatoes and arugula because these happen to make the best BLT on the planet.
CAN. NOT. BE. BEAT.
Oh, and these aren’t pictured, but if you dice your leftover biscuits and sauté them in butter and olive oil, you’ll get some insane croutons. I ate these on salads for five days after I took these photos and I still want more.
Happy Fourth of July, y’all! If you’re looking for cookout appropriate beverages, see 
e2 bakes brooklyn 