Bacon Pesto Waffles

Sweet or savory?  Welcome to the recurring conversation of weekends in our household.  After a morning-breath kiss and the ruling on who has the worse bed head that particular day, this question always arises.  Should breakfast be sweet or savory?  (First world problems, right?)  Perhaps my favorite breakfast bread is waffles which are reserved for sweet days in most households.  And by most I mean "not our".  I absolutely love a savory waffle.  Keep that maple syrup and pass the pesto.  And perhaps some bacon while you're at it.

I flipping love my healthy whole wheat waffles Crispy exterior with tender chewy insides, they're a perfect blank canvas that you can decorate however you desire.  Personal favorites of this household include chunky peanut butter-banana, strawberry-nutella and mango-hazelnut-agave.  Oh, and this waffle, right here.

Without a doubt, pesto is one of my absolute favorite spreads.  If you've ever tasted the delights of a pesto pizza, you know how divine it is on freshly baked bread.  Here I simply swapped the pizza dough for a waffle, stirring the pesto into the batter.  And what savory dish isn't made better by the addition of crispy bacon?  Try nothing ever, to infinity and beyond.  

Waffle yessssssss.  Just look at that bacon trying to escape his bready confines.  Give it up, lil' guy.  

This recipe makes four to five waffles, two for breakfast that day and a few more to toast up later in the week.  When serving them fresh, I really love throwing a couple of fried eggs on top with a garnish of freshly grated parmesan (again, always delicious on everything ever).  It's sort of like a giant waffly eggs benedict.  They're also great with scrambled eggs, chopped avocado or flying solo as a lovely little basil-flavored breakfast.  

Welcome to savory at our place.

Bacon Pesto Waffles (4 waffles)

• 6 strips thick-cut bacon
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tbs cornmeal (optional; if used, reduce flour by 1 tbs)
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 c buttermilk (easy recipe below!)
• 1 egg or 2 egg whites
• 2 tbs applesauce, no sugar added type
• 3 tbs pesto
• fried eggs & parmesan, for topping (optional)

To make your own butter milk, place a tablespoon of lemon juice in a measuring cup and fill the rest with milk.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

Slice the bacon into matchsticks and transfer to a small frying pan.  Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp.  Remove with a wooden spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Plug in your waffle iron and set to medium-high and pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal (if used), baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.  Stir together, leaving a well in the center.  In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg/whites, applesauce and pesto.  Whisk together until well blended.  Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir together until smooth.

Spray the waffle iron with non-stick and scoop the batter onto the heated iron (the amount will depend on the size of your machine - ours is perfect with 1/3 cup).  Sprinkle with bacon and close, cooking to your preference.  Remove the waffle to a plate and transfer to the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter.  Serve hot with fried eggs and parmesan, or your favorite savory toppings.