Cornbread Waffle Breakfast-for-Dinner Tacos

It’s the same, old story time and time again: preparing to make dinner after a long, tiring day, and the last thing that you want to do is spend time slaving away in the kitchen on new “experiments”. So, reluctantly, you throw together that one meal that you can always count on, that meal you could probably put together while blindfolded. “Not *insert meal name here* again!” the family whines as you sigh. Well, if this is a common occurrence in your household, here’s a new way to switch up tacos, an oldie-but-goodie! Served burrito-bowl-style like Chipotle, but all piled on a warm, slightly sweet, cornbread waffle, this spin on an old classic will be sure to please!!

Gather Your Ingredients:

(recipe measurements serve four)

• box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix (and all ingredients on the box, listed below)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp shortening, melted
  • 3/4 milk
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want the cornbread waffle to be)
• 3 tsp hot pepper sauce (again, feel free to add more or less to adjust the spicy-level)
• 4 eggs OR 1 lb ground beef (choose whichever protein you prefer- or make both! either option tastes great in this recipe!)
  • if eggs, also need salt and pepper to taste
  • if ground beef, also need one packet of taco seasoning
• taco toppings (below are what I like to use on tacos; feel free to change it up depending on what you like!)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tomato (or 1 cup of grape tomatoes)
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • butter, for your frying pan
  • 1 can of black beans
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • sour cream

Here’s Your Method:

1. Mix all of the cornbread ingredients together in a large bowl along with the cayenne pepper and hot sauce, and let sit for a few minutes. (Feel free to omit the pepper and sauce altogether if you prefer a more mild dish!)
2. Throw your black beans in a small pot, and heat according to the directions on the can. (Usually just to bring the beans to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until warmed through)
3. Meanwhile, chop all of your vegetable toppings, and set the avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and sour cream aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it will look wavy) add your garlic, peppers, and onions. Saute those over medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring them around occasionally until the edges are browned, and set aside.
5. Now, begin the process of making the waffles. Spoon about a quarter cup of batter onto your heated/prepared waffle iron and let that go to work. Continue this process while completing the next steps; making a stack of waffles on one plate keeps them warm while you finish the rest of the batch.
6. Prepare your eggs and/or ground beef.
   1. Eggs: Melt butter in the pan. While butter is heating over medium/low heat, crack your eggs into a small bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and whisk until mixed together completely. Pour carefully into the heated pan, and scramble to your preference.
   2. Ground Beef: Crumble ground beef into your frying pan, or use a plastic spoon to break up the pieces. Heat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add in the taco seasoning according to directions on packet.
7. Distribute the waffles to each separate plate, and then begin loading them up! Add the scrambled eggs and ground beef, beans, peppers and onions, your chopped vegetable toppings, and finish it off with a plop of sour cream, a nice handful of cheese, and even some hot sauce if that’s what you like (I LOVE hot sauce).

This quickly became one of my favorite meals; it’s easy, quick, and a nice spin on a typical, taco night dinner! Hope you enjoy it, and I want to hear- what did you think of this dinner? What are some of YOUR favorite go-to meals?