The Betty Crocker Project : Baked Vegan Chicken & Waffles

My only compliant about this recipe is that I didn't add enough Maple syrup in the pictures.

When I lived in Atlanta, there seemed to be signs everywhere for Chicken and Waffles "Shacks". I mean even Motown Legend Gladys Knight had a chain that seemed to be in every strip mall*. Which at first I assumed meant they served waffles in the morning and fried chicken at night. Imagine my Northern girl surprise, when I learned about this heart attack inducing dish was a staple in Soul Food cuisine. I mean I had lived in St.Louis and spent time in Kentucky and Louisiana and never heard of such a thing. But any cuisine can vary from region to region. Take the French dish Ratatouille: It originated in Nice and was simply seasoned with thyme and black pepper but then those show-offs down the coast in Provence started adding all these green herbs and a bit of lavender and the flavor turned into something completely different. Well, Soul Food is no different**. You can go to a completely legit Soul Food restaurant in Texas and have a pretty different experience than you would in Florida or Tennessee. From what I gather, the epicenter of Chicken and Waffles is Georgia. At first it seemed strange to me but then when I thought about it. Is it really that much weirder than having a side of fried bacon or sausage? I mean it's savory and oily meat with sweet waffles.

So when I was putting together a menu for a vegan Soul Food dinner party, I started thinking of ways to veganize this classic unique dish while also making it a bit more healthy but didn't have a proper waffle iron to pull it off. $40 later and here we are enjoying Baked Vegan Chicken and Waffles. I have to admit I've fallen in love with this unusual but awesome combo.

Speaking of awesome combos... Tonight we're going to a Hen Party with free cupcakes! No, not a British bachelorette porn and baked goods extravaganza. There is a party for our dear friend Jasmin Singer over at Our Hen House. If you find yourself anywhere near Manhattan tonight you should stop by and say "Hi". Just Click Here for the details if you didn't already click on the other link.

Even if you can't make it tonight - You can still enjoy this Georgian country classic! If for not other reason than to add it to the list of things you've done in your life.

Baked Vegan Chicken and Waffles
Baked Vegan Chicken 

• 2 Cups Vegan Chicken (defrosted - We cut up vegan chicken nuggets from May Wah to make ours, but gardein, Lightlife, Moringstar Chick'n Strips and Match Vegan Meats would all work - if you use Match - you'll have to bake your chicken a bit longer)
• 1/4 Cup Beer (We used Brooklyn Brewery's Pumpkin Ale but I think any IPA would be great) 
• 1/2 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce 
• Dash of Liquid Smoke
• 1 Cup Bisquick (We use the gluten-free type - there are many different vegan types of Bisquick. Be sure and read your label to make sure what you buying is one of them) 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
• Olive Oil Cooking Spray 

Waffles (this will make 6 to 8 waffles)

• 2 Cups Bisquick
• 1 1/2 Cups Soymilk 
• 1 Tablespoon Applesauce
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• Dash of Cinnamon 
• Dash of Salt

Buttery Syrup (if you like a lot of syrup - you may want to double this recipe)

• 1/4 Cup Margarine
• 1 Cup  Maple Syrup

Heat oven to 375.

Cut your Vegan Chicken into strips or nuggets. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Cooking Oil.

In a bowl, mix Beer, Liquid Smoke and Hot Sauce. In another bowl, mix Bisquick. Using one hand put your Vegan Chicken in the Beer bowl and flip it a few times to make sure it gets completely covered and then using that hand drop the Vegan Chicken into the Bisquick bowl. Using your other hand, flip the Vegan Chicken in the Bisquick mix to get an even coating. You're using separate hands to help prevent contamination of the bowls.

As you are coating your Vegan Chicken, place them on the cookie sheet. Spray an even coating of Olive Oil Cooking Spray over your Vegan Chicken. You'll want enough that your Vegan Chicken is no longer powdery looking. Once they are all coated, put your Vegan Chicken in the oven and bake it for 10 to 15 minutes. Your Vegan Chicken will be done it is brown and crispy.

While your Vegan Chicken is baking, make your waffles. Preheat your waffle iron using the manufacturer's instructions. In a large mixing bowl, blend all the waffle ingredients using an electric hand held mixer until smooth. Because some waffle irons are bigger than others, you'll want to follow the guide lines that come with your waffle iron as to how much batter you should pour into your waffle iron each time. We used 1/2 cup of batter for each waffle. Betty suggests using 2/3 cup of batter. Make all your waffles.

In a sauce pan, heat Margarine and Maple Syrup on a medium heat until Margarine melts. Then remove from heat.

Serve your Baked Vegan Chicken and Waffles warm with the waffles at the bottom and the baked vegan chicken on top and the syrup drizzled over the top.





* Ever been to Atlanta? That's a lot of strip malls.
** I am in no way an expert on Soul Food. This is strictly based on my experiences living in the South, eating at restaurants and internet research.