Cornmeal Waffles with Greens & Creamy Chicken-Mushroom Sauce

I used to make my husband a dish similar to this WAY back in the day before we were married. He was thrilled with this upgraded version.

I was inspired to recreate the dish after seeing a creamy chicken and mushroom casserole post on Kitchen Sanctuary.com. It just looked like it should be served over waffles! The cornbread waffle recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour.com. They were absolutely amazing. (We will be eating them for breakfast in the near future.) To make it a complete meal, I layered steamed baby greens between the saucy chicken and crispy waffle.

I adapted the sauce recipe by using chicken thighs, cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme, increasing the garlic, and omitting the celery salt. I used sweet onions in the sauce but would possibly substitute shallots next time. To make the waffle batter, I measured the liquid by volume and the dry ingredients by weight. Perfection.

We ate this dish for dinner but it would also be wonderful served for brunch.

For the Creamy Chicken-Mushroom Sauce:

• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into big chunks or strips
• 9 T all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 T canola oil
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 3 yellow or sweet onions, peeled and finely diced (can substitute shallots)
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 5-7 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 300 ml milk
• 3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 24 oz cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 240 ml heavy cream
• 6 T cornstarch (mixed with 10 T pan sauce – to make a slurry)
• fresh parsley, minced

1. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with 6 tablespoons of the flour plus 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Toss to cover the chicken in the flour and seasoning.
2. Finely chop the garlic and onions/shallots in a food processor.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add the chicken. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.) Brown all over (it doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side.
4. Place the butter in the same pan and melt over a low-medium heat.
5. Add the onions, garlic, and thyme sprigs and cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Sprinkle on the remaining 3 T of flour and stir for a minute (it will be lumpy).
7. Pour in a splash of the stock and stir, using a whisk until combined. Continue to add in stock, a little at a time, while stirring, until all the stock is added and you have a smooth sauce with no lumps.
8. Remove thyme sprigs.
9. Add the milk, bring to a boil, and continue to stir over the heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice.
10. Add the mushrooms, the chicken and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
11. Remove the lid and stir in the cream, then heat through for a further 5 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and test for seasoning. Add a little more salt and pepper if needed.
13. If you’d like the sauce to be any thicker, then at this point you can stir in the slurry. Add a little splash at a time, while stirring, until you get the thickness you want. (I incorporated all of it.)
14. Serve garnished with minced parsley, as desired.

For the Cornmeal Waffles:

• 1 3/4 cups (397 g) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 5 T (85 g) butter, melted and cooled OR 3/8 cup (74 g) vegetable oil
• 177 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 138 g (1 cup) yellow cornmeal
• 25 g (2 T) sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter or oil.
2. In a separate bowl, blend together the dry ingredients, then quickly and gently combine the wet and dry ingredients.
3. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes, to allow the cornmeal to soften.
4. Drop the batter by 1/3-cupfuls onto a hot waffle iron, and cook it until steam stops seeping from the iron, about 5 minutes.
5. Set aside on a cooling rack to allow steam to release. Keep warm in an oven or warming drawer until ready to serve.

For the Steamed Greens:

• 4-8 cups mixed baby greens (kale, chard, spinach)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Microwave greens in a covered glass dish with 2 T water for about 4 minutes, or until wilted. (Alternatively, greens can be steamed on the stove top or sautéed.)
2. Season with salt and pepper.

To Serve:

1. Top 1-2 waffles with steamed greens.
2. Smother with creamy chicken-mushroom sauce, garnish with minced parsley. Serve immediately.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

View all posts by Josette@thebrookcook →