Turn Rotisserie Chicken Into A Bread Alternative With One Easy Tool

You may be familiar with chicken and waffles, the comforting brunch dish that combines crispy fried chicken with the breakfast staple, either sweet or savory style. But, did you know you can use your handy waffle iron to actually turn chicken into waffles for an easy, low-carb, gluten-free bread alternative?

The concept is similar to a chaffle, literally a "cheese waffle" that simply whisks together eggs and shredded cheese before being heated on a waffle iron. The result is a light, waffle-shaped version of bread that's perfect for anyone living a low-carb lifestyle or eliminating gluten from their diet.

Now, you can also easily pack protein into your chaffles by simply repurposing your rotisserie chicken. To do so, just shred the meat and fold it into the egg and cheese mixture before ladling it into your waffle maker. Within minutes, you'll have a substitute for bread without all of the carbs or gluten.

Given chicken's relatively mild flavor, these meaty chaffles are incredibly versatile. You can use them for any meal of the day. Eat them on their own as a substitute for waffles, or slide eggs with cheese in between two of them for a hearty breakfast sandwich. For lunch or dinner, pile veggies and meats on top for a satisfying sandwich. You can also use chicken chaffles as a high-protein pizza crust — just spread sauce over the top, sprinkle with cheese and toppings, and pop them in the oven until the cheese has melted.

For a timesaving trick, you can make chaffles ahead of time, too. So there's no need to stand over the waffle maker each time you want to whip them up. Just make a big batch, cool to room temperature, and then store them in the fridge or freezer. While regular chaffles will last for up to five days in the refrigerator, chicken chaffles should be consumed within three days. Either variety can be frozen for up to three months. When ready to reheat, simply place them in the oven or a toaster for a couple minutes.

Chicken chaffles are also an ideal bread alternative because they are so customizable. One of the first things you can do to change up the dish is to use different cheeses. Nearly any shredded cheese will work so you can experiment with anything from cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, or Parmesan to a blend of several types.

You can also switch up the flavor profile with some simple additions. For savory chaffles, you can add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or basil, or mix in sauces like pesto, barbecue sauce, Buffalo sauce, or soy sauce. If you want to add a bit of heat, try stirring in cayenne pepper or roasted red pepper flakes. Spices like garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and cumin can jazz chaffles up as well.

You can also create sweetened chaffles with some simple additions. Sugar, honey, or maple syrup are all great options, but if you're looking to ensure the chaffles have a low-glycemic impact, you can use an alternative sweetener. As for spices, sprinkle in some cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice, or reach for blends like pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice to turn your chicken chaffles into a surprisingly sweet and fragrant treat.