Use Puff Pastry Instead Of Batter For Game-Changing Stuffed Waffles

Saturday and Sunday mornings are the perfect time for treating yourself to a leisurely brunch. On these days, things like pancakes, French toast, and waffles are all on the menu, as are piles of crispy bacon, oodles of syrup, and fresh fruit. Of course, while these are all tasty meals to try, there's another weekend brunch idea that you can implement if you want to step up your game and treat yourself to something extra decadent — puff pastry stuffed waffles.

This dish is packed with flavor, letting you get creative with the different things you fill your waffles with. You can put together a powerful flavor combo that's full of all your favorite tastes. At the same time, there's no need to mess around with sticky and gooey batter. Instead, just use a couple of sheets of frozen puff pastry to put these waffles together.

If you want to give this breakfast dish a whirl, you'll first need to know how to prep your pastry and what other tips you'll need for cooking these treats up. Plus, it pays to be armed with a couple of ideas for good fillings.

The first thing to do when making this breakfast dish is to prep your pastry. You can use a homemade puff pastry recipe if you have one you like, or you can go ahead and use a store-bought variety. The latter can save you quite a bit of time. Just remember that whichever route you go, you want to allow the pastry to thaw before getting started with the cooking process so that you can roll it out properly.

Once your pastry is thawed, it's time to roll it out and cut it to size. The key here is to measure the size of the plates in your waffle iron so that you know how big to cut your pastry. If you cut it too big, the pastry will spill over the sides of the iron and may not cook properly. On the other hand, too small and you'll wind up with a miniature meal. Once you've measured your waffle maker, cut the pastry into rectangles. You want a rectangle so that you can fold one side over the other to seal in your fillings. Or, you can cut two circles, squares, or other shapes of the same size, but you'll have more edges to seal shut.

From here, all that's left is to start heating up and greasing your waffle iron. As it gets warm, you'll get to work choosing your fillings and stuffing your pastry.

With your pastry cut and prepped, it's time to get down to choosing your fillings. This is where you can really have some fun. You can go for a fruity filling, for instance, by using fresh berries within your pastry dough. Add a bit of cream cheese for a pop of tangy flavor and gooeyness when you bite into your waffle. Another option could be to stuff it with Nutella, peanut butter, or a mixture of the two. Or, keep things simple and fill them with sliced apples and a bit of cinnamon sugar.

For those who prefer savory waffles, there are plenty of options as well. Go for slices of ham and cheese for an easy choice. Or, use pieces of chopped fried chicken with a hearty slathering of buffalo sauce. Then, finish it off with crumbles of blue cheese. Play around with different filling combos to come up with something you love.

Once you've selected your fillings, place them in the center of your dough. Then, either fold over the other half of the rectangle or place the second slice of puff pastry on top and press the open edges together. Pop the whole thing in your waffle iron for your machine's usual cook cycle, or until the pastry is golden brown and nicely puffy. When it comes out, you'll be in for a tasty treat!