Waffles are a big thing in my family, it's one of the few things that my little girl will readily eat without question. While I'm in the process of broadening her food horizons, I decided to take a few of her favorite things today to combine them into one perfect savory dish. Waffles, ham and shredded cheese!

Savory waffles are all the rage right now. They certainly are not just for breakfast anymore. I can remember back in my school age days that my parents would, on occasion, do a 'breakfast for dinner' night in our house, so this is somewhat an ode to that memory.

Plus, I just got done watching an episode of The Great Food Truck race where there's a fun food truck on there called 'Waffle Love' that is blowing the race out of the water. I tend to draw my inspiration from several unique places.

Since my little one is all about cold cuts of deli meat (seriously - sliced sandwich meat is in her lunchbox every week just about), I'm all the more picky about the brand that I buy. My most favorite brand is Boar's Head. I love that it's gluten-free and lower in sodium.

I decided to use Boar's Head SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked™ Black Forest Ham in these waffles, because they have a flavor rarely experienced in America. It's crafted with the finest ingredients and with exceptional care, plus it's naturally smoked with imported German beechwood. The result, is a ham with a delicious, distinct flavor that is rich and smooth without being overpowering.

Plus, you really can't go wrong with anything food wise that's been smoked. I was fortunate enough to get my grandfather's smoker passed down to me about a year ago, and it's been a lot of fun learning how to use it and playing with smoking different meats and treats.

Smoking meats is a standard in my family. I'm a Texas girl so smokers basically come standard here with any backyard. We've got some pretty obvious smoke house rules around these parts. I always love to pair my smoky foods with cheese, I mean... any excuse for cheese is a good excuse in my book. It's true, cheese is my weakness. I'd say that I personally buy more smoked foods than I cook, but that's only because I haven't yet mastered the smoker. One day, one day.

Do you have some smoke house rules of your own? Be sure to check out the Boar’s Head Smoke House Rules sweepstakes, and enter for a chance to win a gift card by sharing your own culinary rules for creating the perfect smoked recipes!

Savory Ham & Cheese Cornmeal Waffles
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 Large Waffle • Calories: 242.1 • Fat: 6.8 g • Carb: 31.1 g • Fiber: 2.9 g • Protein: 13.2 g • Sugar: 2.2 g • Sodium: 397 mg

Ingredients:
3/4 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
3/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
1/4 C. Fine Cornmeal
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/4 C. Fat Free Milk
1/2 C. Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. Boar's Head SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked™ Black Forest Ham, Chopped
2 Whole Large Eggs
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Green Onion, Diced
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Preheat your waffle maker to it's proper setting.

I used my indoor grill with the waffle 'plate' inserts, set on high.

Whisk together your dry ingredients, flours, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, baking soda; season to taste and set aside.

In another medium bowl, mix the remaining ingredients; milk, cheese, ham, eggs, oil, and green onion.

Finally, add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined.

You don't want to over mix the batter here!

Once ready, lightly spray the inside of your waffle maker and pour some of the batter onto the preheated surface.

I used about 1/2 cup of batter per single waffle here (1 cup for the entire grill) on my counter top grill with it's waffle plate inserts.

Close the waffle maker and cook accordingly.

When the waffles are done, remove them from the waffle maker and top with desired sauce or other indulgence.

I used a light cheesy sort of gravy on mine.

Enjoy right away or allow to cool and store in an airtight ziplock in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat.