Meat Free Chicken and Waffle Casserole
Sound the alarms, school is back in session and what better way to celebrate than having breakfast for dinner! Or in our case, a brunch with the family. Modified for my dad, this Meat Free Chicken and Waffle Casserole means he can still enjoy this easy and delicious southern staple without having to forfeit the chicken.
I’ve mentioned it a time or two, but my dad is mostly vegetarian in order to keep his prostate cancer under control and therefore avoid needing surgery. At some point, he may have to have the surgery but we are heading on 2 years now of him being able to keep his PSA scores in a manageable range by eating mostly vegetarian. It’s been really amazing to watch!
When he is in town, I go out of my way to eliminate meat on his behalf or at least prepare something special just for him. This Meat Free “Chicken” and Waffle Casserole is made with Frozen Gardein 7-Grain Crispy Tenders that are not chicken at all, but you would never know. They are meat-free and as such, referred to as Chick’n. They are delicious enough that there was no need to make anything separate for myself, I ate what he ate.
Meat Free Chicken and Waffle Casserole
The best of both worlds collide with this meat freeChick’n and Waffle Casserole with Honey Roasted Pecans that is savory, sweetand quickly ready to eat.
Ingredients
- 1 box, Birch Benders Paleo Toaster Waffles (6 waffles)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 9 ounce package, Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, cooked
- 1/4 cup honey roasted pecans, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the waffles until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly; cut into cubes. Leave the oven on.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup and butter until well combined. Fold in chopped pecans.
Spray a 2-quart casserole dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the waffles and the cooked chicken in the baking dish then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake until the waffles are crispy and the egg has set; about 30 minutes. Drizzle more maple syrup on top. Garnish with fresh fruit, if desired.
Since Sprouts is currently having a “Frozen Frenzy” sale throughout the month of August, I went ahead and purchased the Birchbender Paleo Toaster Waffles for my Meat Free Chicken and Waffle Casserole while I was there. With ingredients that a “caveman would eat”, they were healthy enough for my dad and made this dish super duper easy for me, too!
And if you’re not needing to be meat free in your household, you can easily substitute real chicken tenders for this recipe. You’ll also see I added honey roasted pecans. You don’t have to, I just liked the additional crunch it provides.
Casseroles not your thing? No worry, whip together my Chicken and Pecan Waffle Sandwich Bites. The homemade Honey Butter will send your pre-made waffles over the top and you may not even need syrup!
Today’s post was sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market but I’d still be excited to feature their products even if it wasn’t! You can visit their website here.
