Roux-Tasso Waffle Topped with Egg and Cheese

I generally prefer savory breakfasts to sweet. Will I turn down a cinnamon roll hot out of the oven? Of course not. But given the choice, I’m usually a bacon and eggs kind of girl. So for the Kary’s Roux Challenge, I decided to use the dry roux to make a savory waffle.


I had noticed that others in 37 Cooks were using some smoked meat products from Teet’s, which is apparently right down the road from where Kary’s Roux is made in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Having these two products near each other is like companion planting in the gardening world; planting different species benefits each in the garden, and they tend to taste good together as well (think tomatoes and basil, cucumbers and dill). The same goes for Kary's Dry Roux and Teet's smoked pork tasso. The flavor of the roux gave the waffle a deep, toasty flavor and the tasso gave it little pops of spice and salt.

The waffles certainly could have stood on their own, but I decided to add a fried egg and a little cheese sauce to make it a complete meal.

When you serve this up, let the yolk of the egg run over the waffle, then use it to soak up a little cheese sauce and you've got a deliciously savory start to your day. 

Roux-Tasso Waffle Topped with Egg and Cheese
by Jennifer

Waffle:
¼ cup Kary's Dry Roux
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled
4 ounces Teet's smoked pork tasso, diced small and sautéed until crisp

Whisk the roux, flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and butter. Dump wet ingredients into dry and whisk until combined.

Oil waffle iron and heat to desired temperature (I liked these waffles on the darker side). When iron is ready, fill with batter. Drop pieces of crisped tasso on top of batter. Close waffle iron and cook until done.

Cheddar sauce:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup milk
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
white pepper to taste

Melt butter in small saucepan. Whisk in flour until incorporated and smooth. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and let cook, whisking, until thickened, about one minute. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

To serve, top waffle with egg (I cooked mine sunny-side up in ghee), cheddar sauce, and chives.