There are tonnes of things you can cook in your waffle iron that don’t have to be waffles! If your waffle iron is dusty and forgotten, put it to good use by trying out these cool recipes! From bacon, to eggs, to cheeseburgers, almost anything goes in a waffle iron! Try out these fun ways you can put your waffle iron to work and it’ll never gather dust again!

1. Bacon

Who doesn’t love bacon?! Just throw the bacon onto the iron and the grease from the bacon will grease the iron. The waffle iron will make the bacon nice and crispy, just the way we all love it!

2. Brownies

If you’re living in a tiny apartment or dorm room and don’t have an oven, don’t fear! You can bake tasty brownies right in your waffle iron! Take a look at the super easy tutorial here.

3. Cheeseburgers

Make some waffle-shaped hamburger buns right in your waffle iron! This’ll be a big hit with the kids! Recipe here.

4. Pizza

We just couldn’t leave this one out! The key to making a great waffle iron pizza is cooking the dough in the iron first until it’s almost completely cooked. Pack on the toppings and leave the iron open and wait until the cheese melts. This recipe uses an oven to melt the cheese, but you can also use the mentioned method to melt it.

5. Doughnuts

Make breakfast easy by making your very own homemade doughnuts! You can also freeze the doughnuts so you’ll always have some on hand! Tutorial here.

6. Omelettes

Making omelettes in a waffle maker is great for those without a stove. Simply mix up your favorite recipe and pour it into the waffle iron. The result is a super tasty, light, and fluffy omelette! Recipe here.

7. French Toast

Another breakfast favorite, this waffle iron French toast is a piece of cake to put together – even on busy weekday mornings! Get the recipe here.

8. Hashbrowns

Making hashbrowns has never been easier! Whip up a batch of tasty hasbrowns for the kids in only 3 steps! Tutorial here.

9. Grilled Cheese

Also great for dorm room cooking, this waffle iron grilled cheese sandwich can be made in a snap! Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, it’ll quickly become a family favorite! Video tutorial here.

10. Macaroni and Cheese

You didn’t think it was possible, did you? If you’re stuck without an oven, making mac and cheese is no problem if you’ve got your trusty waffle iron around! Tutorial here.

Photos: Craftsy, Betty Crocker, The Gracious Pantry, Eat Cake for Dinner, Tablespoon, Eat Your Books, Will it Waffle, Listotic, Buzzfeed, One Good Thing by Jillee, Fifteen Spatulas.

We just love deviled eggs, and who doesn’t?! It’s the easiest snack food to make, and works great on any appetizer platter for any occasion! Take the classic deviled egg to a whole new level by making the egg whites green! They’d fit in just fine with your St. Patrick’s Day party! Surprise all your guests with these green deviled eggs that are so easy to make!

St. Patrick’s Day GREEN Deviled Eggs

These festive deviled eggs would look great on your appetizer platter for your St. Patrick’s Day party!

They’re so easy to make and all you need is food coloring!

Photos: Foodjimoto.

If you’ve ever wanted to dine like King Edward VII, try out this soup! This cheesy cheddar soup is the perfect soup to warm you up these cold January nights. It’s made from cheddar cheese, potatoes, onions, cream, and chives. All the ingredients are easy to find, and the soup is pretty simple to make. Just because it’s so simple, doesn’t mean it skimps on flavor! This soup was one of the most popular soups among aristocrats just because it was so tasty!

Dine Like the Edwardians: Royal Cheddar Cheese and Potato Soup

Photos: Taste and Tell Blog.

We just love roast duck, but unfortunately it’s one of those dishes people get insecure about when preparing. Have no fear, we’re going to show you the whole process, and you’ll be roasting your own in no time! Serve this duck with roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes, and you’ve got a meal fit for a king! Take a look at the recipe below and make it for your Christmas dinner this year!

To roast the perfect duck it does take a few hours, but it’s incredibly easy to do. This method ensures a duck with crispy skin, moist meat, and no grease. If you’re wondering what to do with all the duck fat that will be leftover, here is a list of things you can use it for:

1) Duck fat goes great with potatoes. Add the duck fat to mashed potatoes instead of butter.

2) Rub it on chicken skin before roasting. It will give your chicken a bolder flavor.

3) Add it to roasted root vegetables, along with garlic, pepper, and salt.

Roasting the Duck

What you will need:

1) A whole Pekin duck that’s 5-6 lbs.

2) Salt

If you like, you can add a glaze to your duck. This one is sweet and spicy:

Sweet and Spicy Hot Roasted Duck Glaze:

1) 1/4 cup honey

2) 1/4 cup molasses

3) 3 tbsp orange juice

4) 1 tbsp soy sauce

5) 1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce

Step #1:

Take the duck out of it’s packaging and take out the innards. The innards will usually be wrapped in paper.

You can freeze all the innards except the liver, and add them to the stock. The liver can be made into a pate by frying it with a little bit of butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mash the liver and spread it onto buttered toast. Yummy! If you aren’t sure which is the liver, it’s the brown thing on the top left of the photo below.

Step #2:

Preheat your oven to 300 F. Rinse your duck under cold water and pat it dry using paper towels. Place a rack in a deep roasting pan and place the duck on top. Sprinkle salt inside the cavity.

Step #3:

Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the duck’s skin on the breast. The key is to cut through most of the fat and not cut into the meat.

Your duck should end up looking like this:

Step #4:

Your duck won’t have any quills, but sometimes there might be a few left. Take those out.

Step #5:

Cut off any excess skin that’s around your duck’s cavity. You can toss the skin, or you can keep it on if you want to get out as much fat out of your duck as possible.

Step #6:

Prick the duck with a sharp knife all over. This will allow the fat to drain easily. The more fat the duck drains, the crispier the skin will be. When you’re pricking the skin, take care not to prick the meat.

Step #7:

Tie the legs together using butcher’s twine.

Step #8:

Fold the wings under the duck.

Step #9:

Sprinkle salt over the duck and place it into the oven.

Step #10:

Allow the duck to roast for 1 hour. When the hour is up, take the duck out of the oven. The skin will still be pale, and only slightly crisp. Pierce the skin again with a knife and you should see more fat drip out. Make sure to poke extra well around the legs, since that’s where a lot of the fat is. Flip the duck over, so that it’s breast-side down. Place the duck back into the oven and roast it for another hour.

Step #11:

When the second hour is up, take the duck out of the oven again. The skin will be more brown this time. Prick the skin all over again and flip the duck so that it’s breast-side up. Place the duck back into the oven and roast it for another hour.

Step #12:

When the third hour is up, take the duck out of the oven. The duck should be browner, and the skin crispy. Prick the skin and flip the duck so that it’s breast side down.

Step #13:

In the last hour while the duck is roasting, it’s time to make the glaze. In a saucepan, add honey, molasses, orange juice, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Whisk the mixture constantly on medium-high heat. It will become thick. Set your glaze aside until your duck is finished.

Step #14:

When the fourth hour is up, take the duck out of the oven and turn up the heat on your oven to 400 F. The duck should look like this:

Step #15:

If you want to save the duck fat, take it out of the pan now. Take the duck rack out and pour the duck fat into a container. Do this before glazing the duck.

Step #16:

Put the duck rack back in the pan. Flip the duck over so that it’s breast-side up. When the oven heats up to 400 F, place the duck back into the oven for around 10 minutes. This will help the skin crisp up more.

Step #17:

When the 10 minutes are up, take the pan out of the oven. The skin of the duck should be crisp and brown like this:

Step #18:

Brush the glaze onto the duck until it’s covered completely. Place the duck back into the oven for 5-7 minutes.

When the duck is finished, it should look like this:

Step #19:

Allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. Enjoy!

Photos: Jemma Watts, Citrus and Candy, The Hungry Mouse.

Sugar cookies are a Christmas tradition and for good reason, too. They’re completely versatile, and once you’ve got the basic recipe down pat, you can add your own unique twist to it. We love topping them with sugar, adding chopped walnuts, and decorating them with Royal icing. There are lots of sugar cookie recipes out there, but we’ve got our hands on the best one! Roll up your sleeves and let’s get baking!

The best sugar cookie recipe ever!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until smooth using an electric mixer.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Cover and chill dough at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Roll out the dough on a floured surface 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.
6. Cut into shapes and place the cookies 1″ apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 6-8 minutes.
8. Take the cookies out of the oven, and while they’re still hot, transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool the cookies completely before decorating with Royal icing.

Pizza dough is one of those things that sometimes when you make it yourself it can either be a hit or a miss. We’ve got the whole process down pat for you in this article, and soon you’ll be whipping up your own pizzas in no time! So, put on your apron and follow along with our easy steps!

Pizza Dough Ingredients:

– 1 package (2-1/4 tsp) active-dry yeast

– 1-1/2 cups very warm water (110°F)

– 4 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting

– 1-1/2 tsp salt

– 2 tbsp olive oil

Making the Dough

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Make sure the cup or bowl that you are using isn’t cold. Meanwhile, add the flour and salt into a food processor. Process for a minute to mix. While the food processor is running, add the yeast mixture in a steady stream. Turn the food processor off and add in the oil. Pulse a few times to mix in the oil.

Take the dough out of the processor and place it on a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands and knead the dough. Cut the dough into 4 pieces with a knife. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Knead the ball the push any air out.

Rising and Storing the Dough

The next step depends on if you want to make the pizza right away, or make it another time. If you want to make the pizza as soon as possible, put the dough balls onto a floured surface. Cover them with a clean dishtowel and allow them to rise for 45 minutes. They will double in size. You can then prepare your pizza for baking.

If you want to make the pizza tomorrow, you can place the dough into the fridge. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, making sure they have enough room to expand. Leave them to rise in the fridge overnight. The next day when you want to make your pizza, take the dough out and leave it to sit for 15 minutes. You can then bake your pizza.

If you want to freeze your dough, dust each dough ball with flour as soon as you’ve made it. Put each dough ball in a seperate freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for 1 month. To defrost the dough, take the dough out of the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight.

Photos: Golden State Mom, Bogliv, Flavia’s Fundamentals, Eat Laugh Love, Charleston Adventures, Money Saving Mom.

These adorable little mummies might look complicated, but they’re far from it! You can use ready-made puff pastry to save time and get these tarts on the table ASAP! These would make the perfect appetizer for your Halloween party, so check out the recipe and easy-to-follow instructions below!

Ingredients:

1) 1 small butternut squash (trimmed, peeled, seeds scooped out, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

2) Olive oil

3) Salt

4) 1 (17.3-oz) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (will make 9 mummy tarts)

5) 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

6) 3 oz goat cheese

7) 18 sliced black olives

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Spread butternut squash cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss the cubes to coat them evenly, and roast for 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mash the squash with a fork. Allow it to cool completely.

Step 2:

Turn down the heat to 400F. Allow the baking sheet to cool and line it with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one puff pastry sheet into a 13-inch square. Using a 4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 9 circles. Transfer the circles to the baking sheet.

Step 3:

Brush the circles with the egg. Leave a 1/2 inch border and divide the butternut over the pastry circles. Then sprinkle over the butternut with goat cheese and place two olive slices on top for eyes.

Step 4:

Roll out the other pastry sheet and cut it into thin strips. Using the 4-inch cutter, cut out 9 rounds of strips. Brush the strips with the egg. Decorate the tops of the tarts with the strips, egg side down, placing them haphazardly over the filling, and covering the filling entirely. Press the edges down so they stick to the bottom pastry circle. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Step 5:

Bake the mummies for 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is crisp and golden. Allow them to cool a bit before serving. Enjoy!

Photos and recipe: Kim Laidlaw.

We guarantee that this will be the tastiest pumpkin pie you’ve ever had! Impress your guests this Thanksgiving with this traditional pie, and finish off your feast with a bang! This pumpkin pie uses canned pumpkin and ready made pie crust, making it a snap to put together!

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Easy pumpkin pie made with canned pumpkin and ready-made pie crust.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
2. Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.
3. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and continue baking 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Allow the pie to cool and garnish as desired.

Photos: Picture Perfect Meals, Buzzfeed.

Pumpkin season is here, and it’s a perfect time to make these scrumptious cookies! Make a bunch of them to share with friends and family – we guarantee they’ll be grabbing seconds!

Delicious Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1½ cups butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bag (12 oz.) chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and white sugar until creamy. Add in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheets. Space the dough about 2 inches apart.

Photos: The Wannabe Chef, Kirbie Cravings. Recipe: Love Bakes Good Cakes.

We love stews! They’re great to make any time of the year, and they’re perfect for dinner on weeknights. Tomatoes, carrots, onions, beef, and celery are slow baked in red wine and tomato sauce in this comforting stew. Get out some crusty bread for dipping, and you have a delicious and protein-packed meal that is sure to satisfy your whole family!

Easy Beef Vegetable Stew

Easy enough to make for weeknight dinners, this beef stew is delicious and packed with protein. Leftovers can be frozen for future emergency dinners.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 10-12 small potatoes, halved
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 10-12 pearl onions
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook for 7-8 minutes until the meat is browned on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Remove the beef from the skillet and without removing the pan drippings, add the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock, and red wine. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until slightly reduced. Season again with a pinch more salt and pepper.
5. Return the beef to the pot, add in the onions and rosemary.
6. Place the skillet in the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional

Photos and recipe: Roxana’s Home Baking.