My wife could never get too much breakfast food in her lifetime. It’s comfort food for her and she loves it. I believe that breakfast foods should be eaten strictly during breakfast or brunchtime. She thinks it is all-day food. So I’ve come up with these fun new charcuterie waffle skewers as a way of tricking myself into having breakfast food for lunch or dinner.

Combining unexpected ingredients like salty meats, sweet fruits, and waffles, this dish is sure to please a variety of palates. You’ve got a plate of assorted meats, fruits, and waffles cut into cubes, all placed on a skewer. These ingredients are then drizzled with maple syrup that brings the entire dish together. The salty and sweet flavors combine to create a sensational experience that will tantalize the taste buds and leave you wanting more.

These charcuterie waffle skewers are a delightful twist on the classic charcuterie board. Whether you’re planning a brunch gathering, or a party, or simply want to elevate your snacking game, these skewers are guaranteed to impress your guests and satisfy your cravings.

So, let’s dive into the world of culinary creativity and discover the magic of savory and sweet delights with our charcuterie waffle skewers recipe.

Make Waffles Like a Pro

Whipping up a batch of delicious waffles isn’t too difficult. Assuming you have a waffle iron. Otherwise, I guess you’re making pancakes.

Now, I may be a little biased, but I think that my buttermilk waffle recipe is the best.

The key to making the perfect waffle is to get the batter just right. The ideal consistency is a thick, creamy batter. To achieve this, my recipe uses whipped egg whites to give volume and fluffiness to the waffles. And be certain that you do not overmix the batter.

Once the batter is mixed, it’s time to start cooking. Many waffle makers will have different settings for doneness, so adjust the setting according to your preferences. I suggest a medium to medium-long cook time for the perfect crispy outside and fluffy inside.

When the waffle maker is preheated, pour the batter into the center of the iron and close it. Cook according to your waffle iron instructions. Allow the waffles to cook until golden brown and crisp (about 4 to 5 minutes in my experience).

When the waffles are finished, cut them into roughly even-sized squares. I mostly used the divots created by the waffle iron as an easy guide for splitting up the waffle. Aim for waffle squares about 2 inches per side.

The Charcuterie Renaissance: Exploring a Delicious Trend

Charcuterie boards have been on trend lately in the cooking world. I think it is mostly because the photos of them look so appetizing with all of the options beautifully laid out. So I wanted to pay my own homage to the trend while still making things my own.

Ditch the board and stuff everything onto a skewer for an easy, yet elegant twist. Introducing charcuterie waffle skewers! These offer the perfect combination of savory and sweet flavors, packed with a mix of delicious ingredients threaded onto a stick. By swapping the traditional charcuterie board for these whimsical skewers, you’ll add a fun and interactive element to your gatherings.

What Is Charcuterie?

Charcuterie is a French term that refers to a method of cooking focused on prepared meats. It comes from French words meaning cooked flesh. It was initially a way to cure, flavor, and preserve meats before refrigeration was available.

A traditional charcuterie board is a platter typically consisting of cured meats, cheeses, and crackers or bread. They’re also usually arranged and presented in a decorative fashion. They have evolved in modern cuisine to include a whole variety of ingredients. Nuts, fruits, spreads, dips, vegetables, and really anything that you think will pair well together on a platter.

And the term charcuterie itself has been taken over in the cooking world to essentially refer to a platter appetizer.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to charcuterie. The variety of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments available today makes it easy to create a unique and delicious combination of flavors and textures. Chefs, cooks, and hosts alike can feel free to get creative with their selections.

Why Waffle Skewers?

So with such endless possibilities, I wanted a unique charcuterie experience.

Waffles. I decided to incorporate the classic breakfast favorite into a charcuterie spread.

I wanted to add a fun twist on waffles. And waffle charcuterie skewers seemed to fit the bill. What’s more, the texture and flavor of waffles add a new dimension to the classic charcuterie board.

Waffle skewers are easy to assemble – just cut the waffles into cubes and skewer them with the other ingredients. You can top your waffle skewers with anything you like, from savory ingredients like cured meats and cheese to sweet toppings like fruit and chocolate. Get creative with it and have fun – the waffle skewers will be sure to be a hit!

Choosing the Right Ingredients for Your Charcuterie Waffle Skewers

To create the perfect charcuterie waffle skewer, it is essential to carefully select the right combination of ingredients. From sweet treats to savory delights, there is something for every palate.

The perfect waffle skewer needs a balance of sweet and savory, and choosing the right ingredients is key. The trick is to try and choose ingredients that complement and contrast well with each other. Also, try to choose ingredients that will skewer well and won’t just crack and break on you. This will make the whole skewer aspect pointless as it will all just fall off.

We know we will have waffles (otherwise they wouldn’t be waffle skewers…). Here are some other ideas and options to consider for both sweet and savory choices. In the recipe card itself, I give instructions to replicate the same skewers I made. But feel free to mix and match the sweet and savory ingredients based on my comments below.

The Sweet Ingredients

When it comes to these charcuterie waffle skewers, the true star of the show is undoubtedly the waffle itself. That’s why we need to carefully consider how each ingredient will harmonize with these scrumptious squares of pure breakfast bliss.

To balance out the flavors and add a touch of natural sweetness, include a selection of fruits such as strawberries, ripe bananas, and crisp apples. These fruits not only provide a delightful burst of freshness but also complement the waffle’s flavor profile beautifully. Feel free to get creative and experiment with other fruits like blueberries, mangoes, and apricots to add more variety and vibrant flavors to your skewers.

For those looking to indulge their sweet tooth, consider adding a touch of decadence with different confections like fluffy marshmallows, soft caramels, rich fudge, or even chocolate. While I haven’t personally tried skewering chocolate, it might be best to reserve it for a drizzling component (as mentioned in a later section of this post) to avoid any potential challenges with skewering.

The Savory Ingredients

Typical charcuterie boards include cured meats like salami, prosciutto, or bresaola. But this is a waffle-inspired dish. So more breakfast-oriented meats are on the menu.

Say hello to the mouthwatering combination of sausage and bacon gracing these skewers, offering a hearty and savory touch. But the options don’t stop there! You can also consider country ham, Canadian bacon, smoked salmon, or even fried chicken to add a touch of chicken and waffles vibes. Or try adding some homemade candied bacon to the mix. These meats infuse the skewers with smoky, savory, and spicy flavors that beautifully complement the sweet elements in this creation.

Finally, no charcuterie-inspired creation is truly complete without the addition of cheese. When it comes to assembling these charcuterie waffle skewers, opt for cheeses that have a slightly higher moisture content to ensure they hold up well on the skewer without crumbling.

Take your taste buds on a journey with a variety of cheese options, such as cubed cheddar cheese, fresh mozzarella, gouda cheese, or creamy brie. These cheeses bring a delightful combination of flavors and textures to the skewers. From the sharp and salty notes of cheddar to the smooth and creamy indulgence of brie, each cheese selection adds a distinct element that perfectly complements the sweet and smoky flavors of the cured meats. Prepare to experience a harmonious marriage of flavors that will leave you craving another bite.

Building Flavorful Layers: Assembling Waffle Skewers with Care

Now it’s time to assemble the glorious charcuterie waffle skewers. Building flavorful layers of waffles, fruits, cheeses, and savory meats requires a little patience and finesse. With that in mind, let’s explore the art of creating the perfect skewers.

Creating the waffle skewers starts with the skewers themselves. You can use disposable wood skewers or these reusable metal skewers I love that are from Amazon. 12-inch skewers seem to me to be the right size. Big enough to fit a fair amount of food, without being too unwieldy. Smaller skewers might also work better with a large spread of foods.

With the skewers in hand, it is time to start threading on the ingredients.

Simply start layering the different ingredients onto the skewers. I typically like to do this with an assembly station of sorts. Have a large platter or baking sheet set out for the finished skewers. Then have the skewers available with bowls of all the ingredients. Then start picking and choosing different ingredients to add.

I don’t typically follow the exact same pattern and like to mix it up with different ingredients next to each other each time. But maybe you’re someone who likes a little more order. Whatever works for you.

Some things may be tricky to skewer or tend to crumble apart as you attempt to stick them. Be gentle and try experimenting to find the best way to put it on. For example – I found that it worked best to skewer the bacon through some of the cooked fat rather than the meat.

Delectable Accompaniments for Charcuterie Waffle Skewers

With charcuterie waffle skewers being the star of the show, it is important to consider what delightful accompaniments can make the dish shine. Here are some ideas to get your mouth watering.

Toppings: Add toppings on the side or on top of the skewers for even more flavor. Have whipped cream, nuts, peanut butter or Nutella spread, and jams or preserves available for your guests.

Drizzles: Try drizzling a sweet syrup on top of the skewers for added flavor. Consider using maple syrup, yogurt, honey, chocolate syrup, or berry syrup. You may want to leave these on the side for dipping or allow individuals to drizzle their preferred topping. Don’t drizzle too early, because the waffles will soak it up and get soggy. Drizzle responsibly.

Sprinklings: Everything is just a bit more fun when you lightly sprinkle something on top. Use toasted shredded coconut, sprinkles, cinnamon, or powdered sugar to create a unique look for your charcuterie waffle skewers.

When it comes to charcuterie waffle skewers, the possibilities are endless. With the right accompaniments, you can create an unforgettable dish that will have your guests raving.

Other Breakfast and Brunch Options

Charcuterie waffle skewers are delicious, but you may want an even bigger spread and more options for a large gathering. Have some drink options available, especially smoothies, milk, and juices:

• Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
• Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie
• Decadent Hot Chocolate
• Green Kiwi Mango Smoothie

These skewers will pair well with almost any other breakfast food option. Here are a few recipes that you may want to try for a big group:

• Fry Bread Scones
• Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
• Fully Loaded Breakfast Burritos
• German Pancakes
• Simple Breakfast Crepes
• Apple Crisp
• Quiche Lorraine

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this fun twist on waffles! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Charcuterie Waffle Skewers

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Breakfast, Brunch, AppetizersDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Deliciously sweet and savory! Try these unique charcuterie waffle skewers as a brunch or appetizer – you won’t be disappointed. Note that the prep time includes assembling the skewers (it’s helpful to have multiple people), and the cook time includes cooking of the ingredients that go onto the skewers even though they should be fully cooked before adding them to the skewers

Ingredients

• 4 baked waffles

• 24 ounces cooked sausage patties

• 24 ounces cooked thick-cut bacon (I recommend cutting it into 2 to 3-inch pieces before cooking)

• 12 ounces cheddar cheese or fresh mozzarella

• 12 ounces gouda cheese or brie

• 8-10 strawberries

• 2 bananas

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 2 cups whipped cream

• 20 wood or metal skewers

Directions

• Cut the baked waffles into 1.5 to 2-inch square pieces
• Take a skewer and thread on waffle cubes, sausage, bacon, cheeses, and fruit in whatever order you’d like, continuing to add ingredients until the skewer is filled
• Repeat step 3 until all ingredients have been used up
• Arrange the skewers on a platter or individual plates
• Drizzle the maple syrup over the skewers and have the whipped cream available on the side

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The post Savory and Sweet: Charcuterie Waffle Skewers You’ll Love appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Growing up we always called these caramel brownies. But honestly, they aren’t really like brownies in texture at all. The flavor might be similar, but they’re more like German chocolate caramel bars. And so the name has changed to better reflect the true recipe.

The main part of this is much denser than a brownie. And it involves multiple layers. The first layer is a dense German chocolate cake mix which is then topped with chocolate chips and melted caramel and finally topped with another layer of German chocolate cake mix.

At some point in my teenage years, this became the go-to dessert for my family for a while. And then once I left home I kind of forgot about them for a while.

But these were a staple in the house – especially around the holidays when we would make and give them away to friends and neighbors. And, of course, when I say we I really mean my mom and my older sister would tend to make them.

Until now! I have finally learned the secrets. The gooey caramel and chocolate secrets.

Rolling Out the Dough

In order to make this recipe, we’ll start off by melting caramels with sea salt and evaporated milk.

Next, begin mixing the German chocolate cake mixes together with just enough liquid to turn it into a sort of dough. Almost like playdough. Or, to me, it kind of looks like what tootsie rolls would be made of.

This will then be used to make both the bottom and the top layers of the caramel bars. Originally the recipe only called for one cake mix and my mom would just press half the dough into the bottom of the pan. Then for the top layer kind of hand press the dough together and lay it on top in sections.

Now we use two cake mixes and we use parchment paper to help roll both the top and bottom layers of these German chocolate caramel bars.

Just cut out two large pieces of parchment paper, place about half the dough between the two pieces, and then roll and flatten it out. Get it into approximately a rectangular shape about the size of the 9 x 13 baking dish. Place that into the baking dish.

Repeat again for the second half of the dough and use it as the top layer after putting down chocolate chips and melted caramel.

Hints for Chocolate Caramel Bars

It took a long time for me to find the caramels for this recipe. I almost resorted to trying to make my salted caramel sauce and maybe cook it to a different stage to get the right consistency. My mom ended up finding some and bringing them to me. But try looking for caramels in either the candy section or the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.

Or you can even look into buying caramels online.

You’ll want to have milk ready for this.

It is a sugary, gooey, chocolatey treat that just begs to be paired with a glass of milk to wash it down. Trust me. Or, even better, maybe pair warm chocolate caramel bars with creamy vanilla bean ice cream.

And you can add nuts to the caramel bars as an option at the same time as adding the chocolate chips to the baking dish.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out these German chocolate caramel bars! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Super Gooey German Chocolate Caramel Bars

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DessertDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

40

minutes

Gooey caramel and chocolate chips layered between German chocolate cake mixes make delicious chocolate caramel bars nobody can resist

Ingredients

• 17 ounces unwrapped caramels

• 1 cup evaporated milk, divided

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 boxes German chocolate cake mix, 15.25 ounces each

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt together the caramels, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and sea salt while stirring occasionally until fully melted
• While the caramel is melting, combine both cake mixes, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter in a mixing bowl and mix until fully combined into a dough
• Roll out half of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 9×13 size
• Place the rolled out half into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake for about 4 minutes until slightly puffed
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle it with the chocolate chips in an even layer
• Pour the melted caramel mixture on top of the chocolate chips as evenly as possible
• Roll out the other half of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to approximately 9×13 size
• Place the rolled out dough on top of the caramel, put it in the oven, and bake it for an additional 15-18 minutes
• Remove the chocolate caramel bars from the oven and let them cool completely so that the caramel can set before cutting them into squares and serving

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The post Super Gooey German Chocolate Caramel Bars appeared first on Do You Roux?.