Easy Mac and Cheese Waffles
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Mac and Cheese cooked on a waffle iron: These Easy Mac and Cheese Waffles are crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside!
What’s not to love?
Easy Mac and Cheese Waffles
Mom’s know it can be a struggle to come up with interesting meals EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!
Truly, there are only so many recipes on our list of easy dinner ideas.
I guess I should count myself lucky that I have one kid that will eat anything. However, it is the picky one that has me pulling my hair out with his stubborn pickiness and often refusing to eat the dinners I cook.
Good thing I’m the queen of thinking outside the box when it comes to preparing favorites in different ways, lol.
Especially when it comes to Mac and Cheese.
In addition to these Mac and Cheese Waffles, we also like Mac and Cheese Pizza, Mac and Cheese Soup, Mac and Cheese Muffins, Mac and Cheese Taco Bake and even my Baked Potato Mac and Cheese Casserole.
Why You Need to Make Mac and Cheese Waffles
- Fairly simple to make.
- Cooking the macaroni and cheese in a waffle maker creates crispy, crusty edges of mac cheese with a soft gooey middle. (The best of both worlds.)
- No additional breading is needed to make the mac and cheese crispy.
- Kids and adults adore them. (If you are trying to squeeze in extra protein, they even make mac and cheese with extra protein now.)
Ingredients:
- Boxed Mac and Cheese | Plus ingredients to make the mac and cheese. (Just use your favorite brand.)
- Shredded Cheese | Whatever mild cheese you have on hand will work. I always use the finely shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, cheddar blend.
- Salt and Pepper | Mac and cheese always needs a bit of seasoning in my opinion. If you like a bit of spice, a squirt of Sriracha is always yummy.
- Spray Oil | Make sure to use oil, not Pam or its generic equivalent. Pam will eventually gunk up your waffle iron.
- Waffle Maker | Just about any kind will do.
Pro Tips:
- Your mac and cheese needs to be warm going into the waffle iron. So if using leftovers, make sure to warm it in the microwave. (and if your leftovers seem dry, feel free to add a bit more milk to make them creamy again.
- I’ve made these waffles many times now and have discovered the waffle maker will be much easier to clean if you use less mac and cheese in each waffle and don’t spread it all the way to the sides of the waffle maker. (so NOT like shown in the images below, lol.)
- Checking for doneness – you want the mac and cheese to be just to the point of being brown and crispy- but not overcooked. (If you overcook the mac and cheese, your waffles will be dry. (The extra cheese helps with this.)
How to Make the Mac and Cheese Waffles
- Heat waffle iron on high setting.
- Spray iron with oil.
- Fill the iron with mac and cheese, topping with additional shredded cheese.
- Close iron and cook for about 5 minutes. (I did not force mine to close all the way.) You want the mac and cheese to be just to the point of being brown and crispy- but not overcooked, since the mac and cheese could dry out. (The extra cheese helps with this.)
- After cooking allow the mac and cheese waffle to cool just a bit and carefully loosen the edges of the waffle. The waffle should pop right out!
Don’t they look good? Kids loved them!
FAQ’s:
Can I Use Homemade Mac and Cheese?
Yes, of course, use your favorite mac and cheese recipe. Just keep in mind, smaller noodles/macaroni work best.
How to Store Leftovers
To store your leftover Mac and Cheese Waffles, place cooled waffles into an airtight container or zip lock bag. They will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Can I Freeze the Mac and Cheese Waffles?
I wouldn’t as they would lose their delicious crispy-ness after defrosting. And that is the whole point of making them in the waffle maker.
Mac and Cheese Waffle Topping Ideas
There are so many ways to dress up these mac and cheese waffles. Here are just a few to get you started.
- Sour cream
- Salsa,
- Sriracha
- bacon
- pan-fried and sliced smoked sausage
- Green onions,
- Guacamole
More Quick Toddler/Kid Friendly Dinner Ideas
- Meatloaf Muffins
- Hamburger Bun Pizzas
- Quick Orange Chicken
- Chicken Nugget Mashed Potato Bowls
- Easy Meatball Calzones
- One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Peanut Noodles
Easy Mac and Cheese Waffles
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: waffle iron
Description
These Easy Mac and Cheese Waffles are crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside! (Mac and cheese cooked on a waffle iron! ) What’s not to love?
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 servings of your favorite prepared mac and cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheese
- spray oil
- Waffle iron
Instructions
- Heat waffle iron on high setting.
- Spray iron with oil.
- Fill iron with mac and cheese, topping with additional shredded cheese.
- Close iron and cook for about 5 minutes. (I did not force mine to close all the way.) You want the mac and cheese to be just to the point of being brown and crispy- but not over cooked, since the mac and cheese could dry out. (The extra cheese helps with this.)
- After cooking allow waffle to cool just a bit and carefully loose the edges of the waffle. The waffle should pop right out!
Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 139
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Protein: 6
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