Sweet Potato Waffle Grilled Cheese
So experimenting in the kitchen with foods I eat all the time has become a game to me. Can I do this with that and mix in this other thing? How fast can I chop ABC vegetable? How many GF flours can I find and translate from the local Japanese stores?
Well, I eat lots of sweet potatoes. Regular spuds don’t break down in my body easily so I rely on the many varied forms of sweet potatoes grown here. So purple it’s almost black, orange, striped, purple outside/yellow inside. You name it and they grow it here. I also usually buy a bag of frozen fries to throw in the toaster oven at lunch with whatever else I’m eating for loads of vitamin C. I’d seen a video recently of tater tots put into a waffle iron and got a bright idea. Being a big fan of the YouTube show Good Mythical Morning and their shtick of making weird food combinations, I instantly said, “Will It Waffle??” I mimicked Rhett’s voice and everything. I know. I’m weird.
Tonight’s meal did NOT go as planned. For the debacle of an evening, read HERE. I didn’t make two layers in the waffle iron and lined them up straight so they actually rested between the grill squares, and the first batch instantly fell apart and made the ugliest grilled cheese. Look at those sad bits of goat cheese oozing thru. But when I got the layering right, it worked perfectly.
Also, fabric burns. So be really careful not to use a tea towel to open the hot-as-hell waffle iron and accidentally leave a corner of it in the iron when you lock it.
The trick is to layer the sweet potatoes diagonal first and then diagonal the other way. Also use a silicone glove to push down the hot iron to really get the iron grooves to set in. That tea towel never saw it coming. See how pretty the crosshatch pattern is now?
By the time I figured out the best way to layer, I was starving and nearly didn’t get a pic of the end result. I also used creamy goat cheese and a vegan cheddar for added texture. The fig spread gave it some sweetness that offset the tang of the goat cheese. This baby was gooey, flavorful and so satisfying!
My friend Kim tried it and said, “That’s the best damn grilled cheese I’ve ever had!” She’s just being awesome for saying that.
- 2 cups sweet potato fries Thaw if frozen
- 2 Tbsp goat cheese or other tangy cheese
- 1 slice vegan cheese ,used as a binder and extra texture
- 1 Tbsp fig spread
- In a pre-heated waffle iron, spray a fine layer of cooking spray onto the grill.
- Layer the sweet potatoes diagonal to the pattern on the grill. Use at least two layers, alternating the diagonal.
- Close the press and using a heat resistant glove or towel, press down firmly until the grill can be locked. You may need to press on top of the grill as it's cooking to really set the potatoes. Check on the "bread" periodically for doneness though the steam will stop when they're truly ready.
- After the desired crispiness is achieved, carefully remove the two halves to a plate and spread the cheese and fig spread on, putting the vegan cheese in the middle.
- Microwave the grilled cheese on high 25 seconds or place in a toaster oven to crisp the potatoes more and melt the vegan cheese inside. Remove and serve.
What's new, gnu?