Need a little help in the mornings? Ham and Cheese Waffles can be made and frozen ahead of time, making them ready for breakfast in minutes. Ideal to serve for breakfast, brunch, and brinner.

This post is sponsored by Smithfield.

Does this sound familiar? After hitting the snooze about 5 times, you finally roll out of bed. Put your contacts in, get dressed, do your hair, then make some coffee. Sit there for 30 minutes while drinking said coffee and try to find even an ounce of motivation to make breakfast. Or you roll out of bed, have about 30 minutes to eat before running out the door, and you stare at the contents of your fridge not knowing (and not awake) to make anything. Yup that’s me, whether I’m getting ready for another day of work or I have to be somewhere early in the morning.

It’s no secret I’m not a morning person. I’m terrible at eating a fulfilling breakfast, not because I don’t like breakfast but because it takes me awhile to wake up and get going. I never skip breakfast, but I usually end up eating some yogurt or an apple. The best way for me to eat a better breakfast is having something ready to eat and can keep in the freezer at a moment’s notice. Something like waffles. Usually my go-to waffles are chocolate chip, but as much as I’d love to, I can’t eat chocolate every morning. However, waffles are super easy to prepare – pop them in the toaster and wait. How can I make them more acceptable for breakfast without feeling like I’m eating dessert? By making them savory with Ham and Cheese Waffles. I’m not sure if savory waffles are a thing, but I’m making it a thing.

Even though waffles are traditionally breakfast, by making them savory you can eat these Ham and Cheese Waffles for breakfast, brunch, and brinner. My vote is brinner because not only am I awake by then (ha), I can freeze the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. Win win.

To speed up the recipe, I used Smithfield Anytime Favorites Hickory Smoked Cubed Ham, which means I don’t have to waste time cooking nor cutting the ham. Just open the package and add to your batter. Smithfield Anytime Favorites includes 20 different cuts of ham including sliced, diced, cubed, chops and steaks which help you prep for quick and easy meals when you need some help in the kitchen, such as when you’re working late or need to feed your family before rushing off to school and work.

Because waffles come in all shapes and sizes, your yield may vary. I used this round waffle maker for 4 round waffles.

For more information, please visit Smithfield’s website, Facebook and Twitter.

Ham and Cheese Waffles

Yield: 4 six-inch waffles

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 (8-ounce) package Smithfield Anytime Favorites Chopped Ham (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 green onion, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large measuring cup or another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and egg.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then stir together until well blended and smooth. Stir in the ham, cheese, and green onion. Let sit 5 minutes.
4. Preheat your waffle maker according to the machine's instructions. Lightly grease with cooking spray if necessary.
5. Once hot, pour roughly 1/2 cup batter into your waffle maker. Cook according to the machine's instructions until toasted, roughly 2-3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately or cool completely before freezing.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Smithfield. Thank you for supporting me and the companies I work with as sponsored posts help pay for the costs of running Chocolate Moosey, including website hosting and groceries for recipe development.