Waffles are one of the best breakfast and brunch recipes out there— but have you ever enjoyed a savoury version before?

Using just a few basic ingredients from the pantry, you can make these Savoury Ham & Swiss Waffles at home! Enjoy these waffles on their own or with a fresh salad for a full meal.

Recipe and photos by Melissa from (@seasonserveblog).

How to Achieve Light & Fluffy Waffles

The biggest appeal of waffles is that they are light and fluffy, allowing them to soak up all the flavours from the toppings. While some recipes may use complex steps to achieve this structure, this recipe relies on a simple chemical reaction.

The combination of warmed milk and baking powder is enough to achieve this perfect texture. Once the warm milk comes into contact with the baking powder, a chemical reaction to produce carbon dioxide bubbles begins immediately and instantly makes the waffle batter raise and become light and fluffy!

Another tip to achieve light and fluffy waffles is to not overmix the waffle batter. Overmixing will deflate the bubbles and leave the waffle dense, so make sure to mix in the ingredients until they are just combined. If you follow these two tips, you are guaranteed to have the best waffles ever!

All About the Toppings

Ham, eggs and cheese are traditional breakfast items, and go great on top of these Savoury Ham & Swiss Waffles. The waffles can be enjoyed with these toppings alone, or some extra toppings can be added as well to elevate this recipe.

Chives are in season right now and are producing lots of flavourful stalks and beautiful purple flowers. I use the green stalks in the waffle batter as well as on top of these waffles to give them a lovely subtle onion flavour. A garnish of the purple flowers is also beautiful—and they are completely edible!

A sweet and tangy whole-grain mustard sauce brings all the flavours from these waffles together. Whole-grain mustard adds a tangy sour flavour, while maple syrup balances out everything with sweetness. A sprinkle of black pepper also adds a bit of heat as well!

Enjoy this recipe this spring! Don’t forget to tag #TastingVictoria, and #SeasonServeBlog on social media to show off your creation!

Recipe: Savoury Ham & Swiss Waffles

Servings: 6Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Waffles:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 ½ cups milk, warmed

• ¼ cup butter, melted

• ½ cup Swiss cheese, grated

• ¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped

For the Sweet Mustard:

• ½ cup grainy mustard

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Toppings:

• 6 slices Black Forest ham

• 1 ½ cups Swiss cheese, grated

• 6 eggs, fried sunny side up

• 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.2. Preheat waffle iron to the desired temperature.3. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Next add in the warm milk and butter and whisk to combine. Then fold in the cheese and chives just until combined and set aside.4. When the waffle iron is hot, add ½ cup of the waffle mix to the center of the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook according to the appliance instructions. Each waffle should take around 2 minutes.5. Once the waffle is cooked, remove it from the waffle iron and repeat the process for the rest of the waffle mix.6. While the waffles are cooking, make the Sweet Maple Mustard. Add the grainy mustard to a small bowl, followed by the maple syrup and black pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.7. Arrange the cooked waffles in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Top each waffle with the Sweet Maple Mustard, a slice of black forest ham, and ¼ cup of Swiss cheese. Place it in the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.8. While the waffles are baking, fry the eggs in a hot frying pan.9. Once the cheese has melted on the waffles, remove them from the oven and top each waffle with a fried egg and a sprinkle of chopped chives.10. Serve immediately and enjoy!