Breafkast/ Recipes

Hatch Chile Time: Hatch Chile Masa Waffles with Bacon

It’s Hatch Chile Time. The moment to catch and enjoy them is so fleeting, chile heads across the country are grabbing them up by the case and throwing them into the freezer to last until next year. While we can get them fresh, take advantage. Don’t limit your green chile to lunch and dinner. Go beyond the usual scrambled eggs & chile and give this waffle a shot — a Masa Waffle with Hatch Chiles, Bacon & Cinnamon Agave Syrup. (That said, this waffle has brinner written all over it, so why wait until next weekend?)

I’ve been noodling on this one for a little while. I loved the idea of masa biscuits, so doing a masa waffle seemed like a natural choice. The nixtimalization of the corn brings a flavor that’s altogether different than a standard cornmeal waffle, more reminiscent of tamales and tortillas than cornbread, for obvious reasons.

The folks at Melissa’s Produce were kind enough to send me a few pounds of chiles to get the season started right, so I tested a batch of waffles in a Belgian waffle maker – too dense. On the next go round I added extra baking powder, folded in whipped egg whites to lighten the batter, and switched to a standard round waffle iron. That was the ticket.

I also use Bob’s Red Mill’s 10-grain pancake and waffle mix here to simplify things. It’s a regular staple in our kitchen these days. I like that’s it high in fiber without changing the flavor of my waffles and with buttermilk powder and leavening already built it, it ranks high on the convenience factor.

Depending on how much of a chile head you are, you can get your fix two ways. Add some chopped chile to each waffle and top them with extra slices, or just keep it to the garnish. Either way is delicious. And if you’ve got folks who like their waffles on the sweet side, do a plain masa waffle with peaches sauteed with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

There’s still a few weekends left to get your chiles before the season’s over. Melissa’s has a list of roasting events with dates still to come across Southern California, as well as in Phoenix, and in multiple cities in Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New York and Virginia.

If you’re looking for other Hatch green chile recipe ideas, I’ve got a “It’s Hatch Chile Time!” board over on Pinterest.

UPDATE: Our Masa Waffle with Hatch Chiles is a finalist in Melissa’s Produce’s Hatch Match contest. Click on over and give us a like, wouldja? There are prizes and chiles at stake!

Print Recipe

Masa Waffles w/ Hatch Chile & Bacon

Serves: 6 waffles

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 c. Bob's Red Mill 10-grain pancake & waffle mix
1 c. masa harina
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. canola oil
2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
2 T. agave syrup
4-6 medium Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled & seeded
Non-stick vegetable spray
10-12 slices bacon
cinnamon agave syrup, to serve

Instructions

Fry the bacon in a medium skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Heat your waffle iron and set it between medium and dark. Finely chop 2 of the hatch chiles. Slice the remaining 2 chiles vertically into wide strips and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together pancake/waffle mix, masa harina, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, canola oil, egg yolks and agave syrup. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter mix.

Spray the waffle iron with non-stick vegetable spray. Pour ~ 1/3 c. batter onto the iron and sprinkle on ~ 1 T. chiles. Close the lid and cook 3-4 minutes until browned.

Garnish with 1-2 slices of chile and 1-2 slices of bacon. Drizzle with cinnamon agave syrup.