Sausage, Cheese and Potato Waffles
Whole Wheat Sausage, Cheese and Potato Waffles…perfect for the Picky Eater
It hurts my heart a wee bit to admit this but, ” I am the mother of a VERY picky eater.” Wow, that is hard to say. I was the mom who pureed all sorts of organic vegetables when my children were wee tots. I mean, I’m the mom who LOVES to cook and try all sorts of new foods and whose list of foods she doesn’t like ends at #3. In fact, other than lamb, I’m hard-pressed to name a food I really don’t like! O.K….I’m really not fond of game meat…and I could easily do without salami. There are 3 foods that I don’t like.
But my buddy Rob…not sure his list could be quantified, it is so long. In general, all vegetables are on his ‘won’t eat’ list, in addition to sauces of any kind and eggs. If there is a whiff of ‘healthy’ it’s a non-starter. My boy regularly sits at dinner without eating a bite of the food set before him. Forever, I’ve refused to cook a separate meal, so it’s very common for him to not eat dinner. Lest you think that I need to be reported to Child Protective Services, I will let you know that Rob is a 6 foot tall, 180-pound young man who hasn’t had so much as a cold in years! So the moral of this story is that the human body is a remarkably resilient machine and for all you moms of young children who are picky eaters, I say this, don’t stress about it.
All that being said, I do endeavor to get healthy food into the boy. We all know that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’, so that’s the meal I really focus on. But once again, he won’t eat eggs or oatmeal. He’ll eat bagels and cream cheese until the cows come home, but I hate sending him to school with just empty carbs in his belly. Oh, and he won’t eat the lunch served in the school cafeteria, and oh yeah, sandwiches are on his ‘don’t like ‘ list. So…breakfast is a REALLY important meal.
Enter Whole Wheat Sausage, Cheese and Potato Waffles! My young man devours these hearty waffles, which truly makes my heart sing! ?❤? And these aren’t your light and airy Belgian waffle. These are hearty waffles meant to deliver a good dose of rib-sticking protein to get you through the better part of your day. These waffles for breakfast, accompanied with a big bowl of fruit (yes…he really does like fruit…need to be thankful for that!), make me feel like I’ve done my mom job in making sure he’s prepared for a day of learning. This is a savory breakfast recipe, but if you are looking for a sweeter breakfast recipe, check out my fruity protein breakfast bowl.
And, as if it can’t get any better, you can easily make a bunch of these waffles in advance! I freeze them, thaw them in the morning and then pop them in the toaster to warm and crisp them up! Done and Done!
Whole Wheat Sausage, Potato and Cheese Waffles
Ingredients
- 12 ounces sausage I use Smithfield All Natural to avoid preservatives
- 3 cups whole wheat I use half white/half whole wheat, you could also use all white flour
- 3 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups milk buttermilk, or half yogurt/half milk (I use half Greek yogurt for extra protein)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter melted
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese I use sharp
- 1 large potato grated
- Maple Syrup optional
Instructions
- Saute sausage and chop into small pieces while in the pan.
- Drain and set aside
- Grate the potato and set aside
- Mix flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl
- Combine milk and egg and mix to combine and then pour over flour mixture, along with melted butter.
- Mix gently, adding in sausage, potato, and cheese. Don't over mix, just mix to combine
- I use heaping 1/4 cup of mixture into each waffle section and cook until done.
- Serve with maple syrup (optional)
Notes
Nutrition
And it’s a good thing that Rob doesn’t read my blog because if he knew that there was whole wheat flour in the waffles, he’d swear them off in a New York second…even though he’s’ been eating them oblivious to the whole wheat. Oh, a bit of full disclosure; because Rob has a nose for healthy foods that would make a bloodhound jealous, I use half white and half whole wheat. I’m afraid that his healthy alarm would go off if I used all whole wheat flour.
One last parting anecdote about Rob and his disdain for healthy. You know from my past posts that I’m all about foods that are as close to the earth, and as far from a lab, as possible. As such, shelling out the extra money for Grade A, Pure Maple Syrup was a no brainer. Well, Rob spent the night at a friend’s home several years ago and came home swooning over their syrup, which was called ‘Aunt Jemima’, whose first two ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. To this day, many years later, he won’t consume the real maple syrup I have, opting instead for the fake, which I have capitulated and purchased. Oh well…he’s been consuming it for years and has continued to thrive and grow and hasn’t sprouted a third eye yet, so I guess all my neuroses were for naught. Live and Learn…and laugh.
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Hugs,
Lynn, I know exactly what you go through. I also have more than one picky eater in my family. What is it with kids and healthy anyway. Some days they eat better than others and in the end it all balances out. I usually try to sneak a few non-offensive veggies in the tomato sauce. lol. As for Aunt Jemima, well I couldn’t wait to visit the States to have some of that stuff. I only get fresh honey here in Greece. Sometimes we just can’t resist temptation. Have a great weekend my friend!
Hi Mary…don’t tell me that you too are an Aunt Jemima fan!? Guess this is where our ‘twinship’ ends.? Well..I’ll overlook that small quirk because you are so cool on everything else! And those picky eaters do test our patience…don’t they? But you are right that the days do balance out, thankfully!
Thanks, as always, for swinging by today!
Hugs, Lynn
Lynn, what a funny post! Sorry but I had to laugh and it’s because I can relate to every single thing you pointed out regarding the picky young man you have! I have a picky young girl here and they could be best buddies those two. Hanging out drinking Aunt Jemima syrup! One of mine eats everything I put in front of her, well, really 90%, but that’s great and the other one, well. I love to make these kind of foods, where you can disguise all the good stuff. But yes, I also have to be careful, the alarms are on always, lol. This recipe is great and will have to make it for my little miss picky.. The other one is gonna love it for sure too! Waffels are always a good start and your recipe is making me hungry for them now! Could be breakfast for dinner too, no??? Have a great Friday night Lynn! Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Hi Sweet Katrin…I’m so glad I made you chuckle and I know you can relate. Those picky eaters do test our patience, though, don’t they?! And you’re right about Breakfast for Dinner…that’s when I first started making them but then have started serving them at breakfast to get some much needed protein in the boy. But like I said, the human body is a remarkably resilient machine…Rob is living proof of that!
Hugs and Kisses!
Lynn
These look sooo good. I know my boys will love these. I’m going to pin so I can remember to try them. You sound like an amazing mom. I have no doubt my Josh would love to sit at your counter and be your taste tester. My older son would be hanging out with Rob. Ugggg
Have a blessed weekend, hugs -Jenny
Hi Jenny, I guess we need to be thankful that we have one eager eater to offset our picky eater. My daughter is the one who will eat whatever I serve. Several years ago my family bought me a sign which hangs in our breakfast nook which says “Dinner Choices : Take it or Leave it”. That’s pretty much our kitchen rules. But I’m sure you realize too that he human body is so resilient, despite what our boys choose to eat. Thanks for swinging by today!
Hugs, Lynn
Lynn, this post really cracks me up. It is amazing that you make such incredible meals and treats and your son has such a limited palette. But at least you know he’s healthy.
You know that I am obsessed with waffles, and this is getting added to the list. Obviously I’m going to try using the gluten-free flour blend and I was wondering if I could substitute mashed potatoes for the grated potato in the recipe, when we have extra potatoes we sometimes make potato cakes, but this would be a great way to use up the extra mashed potatoes. This is a great breakfast all in one item. Absolutely love this!
Nikki, I really thought of you with this recipe and there is no doubt you could swap out the gluten free flour and mashed potatoes! This recipe is very forgiving. I’d love to hear back from you on how they turn out.
Thanks for swinging by and hope you are enjoying a beautiful Spring Monday!
Hugs, Lynn