Waffle Grilled Cheese and Bacon

When was the last time you had an Eggo Waffle?  Until last weekend, I think it had been a couple decades for me.  Despite the lapsed time, Eggo Waffles played a fairly significant role in my childhood.  From what I remember, they were a Saturday morning treat.  However, when I was little, those buttery waffles could be problematic.  My parents were often on morning walks when I woke up and I wasn’t allowed to engage in independent toaster use.  They used to put milk in a small pitcher for me in the refrigerator so I could have cereal (it’s amazing that a person can be so little that they can’t be trusted to pour milk from a gallon container), but sometimes that would not do.  I would then need to get my brothers involved in order to indulge in some Eggos.  They were usually trying to sleep in, and thus less than thrilled to be of assistance.

Eggo waffles had practically become a forgotten food to me, until I was recently flipping through Food Network Magazine.  Every month, this magazine includes a pullout book with 50 variations of specific food.  Last month, it was grilled cheese, and, I came across a new use for these rich treats.  It’s such a simple idea: sandwich crisp bacon and cheese between 2 lightly toasted Eggo Waffles, then grill the sandwich in butter in a hot skillet.  I put the butter directly in the pan, instead of attempting to tackle to the daunting task of evenly buttering the waffle itself.  Just like any grilled cheese, you want to do the grilling low and slow so that the waffle doesn’t brown prior to the cheese melting.  This is a seriously delicious combination.  Eggo waffles are only slightly sweet, but dense and so buttery that they make a perfectly indulgent vehicle for grilled cheese. 

The article suggested serving the golden sandwich with maple syrup, but instead I decided on an over-easy egg.  I am generally more compelled by savory flavors, and the warm, drippy egg yolk certainly added another layer of decadence to this meal.  This is perhaps not something that should be consumed on regular basis.  I can’t say that I plan on purchasing more Eggo Waffles any time soon, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.