Chicken and Waffle Casserole is a sweet and savory breakfast bake: toasted frozen waffles and bite-size pieces of breaded popcorn chicken soaked in an egg, milk and maple syrup custard, then baked until the top turns golden brown. It takes five main ingredients, serves 4 and is ready in 60 minutes.
How to make it: Toast and dice the waffles, cut the frozen chicken into 1-inch pieces and scatter both in a greased baking dish. Whisk the eggs, milk and maple syrup, pour the custard over the top and bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, until the eggs are set and a thermometer in the middle reads 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five main ingredients: frozen waffles, popcorn chicken, eggs, milk and maple syrup.
- Sweet and savory: breaded chicken and maple custard in every bite.
- Made the night before: assemble it, refrigerate it and bake it in the morning.
- Not just for breakfast: just as good for brunch, lunch or dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen waffles: Eight of the everyday toaster kind; homestyle or buttermilk both work. Toast them and dice them into bite-size pieces. Toasting is not strictly needed, but it gives the casserole a better texture.
Popcorn chicken: Twelve ounces of frozen breaded popcorn chicken, about half a bag.
Eggs and milk: Six eggs and 3/4 cup of milk make the custard. Whole or low-fat milk are both fine.
Maple syrup: A quarter cup goes into the custard, plus more for serving. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Salt or cinnamon: A pinch of either, whisked in with the eggs, is optional.
Ingredients
- 8 frozen waffles, toasted and diced into bite-size pieces
- 12 ounces frozen popcorn chicken (about 1/2 bag), diced into 1-inch pieces
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
- A pinch of salt or ground cinnamon, optional
How to Make Chicken and Waffle Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 7×9-inch or 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Toast the waffles. Toast the waffles in the toaster, or on a baking sheet in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes while it heats. Dice them into bite-size pieces.
3. Cut the chicken. Dice the frozen popcorn chicken into 1-inch pieces. If it is too hard to cut, microwave it for 30 seconds first.
4. Fill the dish. Spread the waffle pieces in the dish. Add the chicken pieces, spreading them out so they are mixed in with the waffles.
5. Pour the custard. Whisk the eggs, milk and maple syrup in a mixing bowl, with a pinch of salt or cinnamon if you like. Pour it evenly over the chicken and waffles.
6. Bake. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the eggs are set, the top is golden brown and a thermometer in the center reads 165°F. Eggs are safe at 160°F; chicken and casseroles need 165°F.
7. Serve. Let it cool slightly, cut it into squares and serve with extra maple syrup.
Which Chicken and Which Syrup to Use
The chicken. Frozen breaded popcorn chicken is the easiest pick. It goes into the dish frozen, with no baking first, and bakes along with the custard. Chicken nuggets behave the same way, and any cooked fried chicken works too: strips, tenders, thighs or breasts, cut into pieces about 1 inch across.
Cutting frozen chicken. Frozen pieces are hard to slice. Give them 30 seconds in the microwave, then dice. Do not leave the bag out on the counter to soften; thaw chicken only in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave.
Homemade breaded chicken. To bread your own, coat bite-size pieces of chicken breast in flour, then beaten egg, then panko. Bake them at 425°F for about 20 minutes, until cooked through to 165°F, and layer them with the waffles.
The syrup in the custard. Pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Honey can take its place in the custard. Brushing the baked top with a little extra maple syrup is optional.
Sauces at the table. Warm maple syrup with melted butter is the simplest. Hot honey, whipped honey butter or butter with a dusting of powdered sugar all work too. For heat, add hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
Tips for Success
Do I have to toast the waffles?
No, but it gives the casserole a better texture. Use the toaster, or spread them on a baking sheet in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes while it heats.
How do I know it is done?
The eggs are set, the top is golden brown and a thermometer pushed into the middle reads 165°F. Eggs alone are safe at 160°F, but chicken needs 165°F.
What size dish do I need?
A 7×9-inch or 8×8-inch dish. For a double batch, use a 9×13-inch dish (see Variations).
Variations
- Double batch in a 9×13: use 16 frozen waffles, a 25.5-ounce bag of frozen popcorn chicken, 12 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups of whole or low-fat milk and 1/2 cup of maple syrup, with salt and pepper. Layer half the waffles and half the chicken, repeat, pour the custard over and bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, to 165°F in the center.
- Vanilla and cinnamon: whisk 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of melted butter into the custard.
- Cheesy: layer 1 cup of shredded cheddar with the chicken, or use pepper jack, havarti, gruyere or gouda.
- Add-ins: bacon, a few shakes of hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Canned chicken and Belgian waffles: drained canned chicken can replace the popcorn chicken, scattered among Belgian waffles cut into squares.
Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover it and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight, then bake it the next morning to 165°F. Keep it in the refrigerator the whole time. Never leave an assembled egg casserole on the counter overnight; throw out anything left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Leftovers: USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat squares covered, in the microwave or oven, until they reach 165°F. Do not reheat it in a slow cooker.
Freezing: Freeze it unbaked or baked, with the dish covered in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw it in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Bake a thawed unbaked casserole as directed; reheat a baked one covered until it reaches 165°F. Frozen leftovers keep 3 to 4 months.
What to Serve With It
Keep the sides simple: scrambled eggs and a fresh fruit salad, crispy bacon or sausage links, or a bowl of grits. For a bigger brunch table, add easy sausage breakfast muffins and a cinnamon roll coffee cake. For more breakfast bakes, try overnight crème brûlée French toast, a breakfast casserole with tater tots and sausage or a bacon, egg and hash brown casserole. For more sweet and savory chicken, there are bacon brown sugar chicken tenders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of chicken is used for chicken and waffle casserole?
Frozen breaded popcorn chicken, diced into 1-inch pieces. Chicken nuggets or any cooked fried chicken work too.
What kind of sauce is good for chicken and waffles?
Warm pure maple syrup with melted butter, or hot honey for some heat.
What’s the secret to great chicken and waffles?
Toast the waffles first for a better texture, use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup, and brush a little extra syrup over the top once it comes out of the oven.
Can I make chicken and waffle casserole the night before?
Yes. Assemble it, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator overnight, then bake it the next morning.
Final Notes
Toast the waffles, dice the chicken small, keep the assembled dish cold until it bakes, and go by the thermometer, not just the golden top. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Chicken and Waffle Casserole
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Ingredients
- 8 frozen waffles toasted and diced into bite-size pieces
- 12 ounces frozen popcorn chicken about 1/2 bag, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
- salt or ground cinnamon a pinch, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 7x9-inch or 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Toast the waffles in the toaster, or on a baking sheet in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes while it heats. Dice them into bite-size pieces.
- Dice the frozen popcorn chicken into 1-inch pieces. If it is too hard to cut, microwave it for 30 seconds first.
- Spread the waffle pieces in the dish. Add the chicken pieces, spreading them out so they are mixed in with the waffles.
- Whisk the eggs, milk and maple syrup in a mixing bowl, with a pinch of salt or cinnamon if you like. Pour it evenly over the chicken and waffles.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the eggs are set, the top is golden brown and a thermometer in the center reads 165°F. Eggs are safe at 160°F; chicken and casseroles need 165°F.
- Let it cool slightly, cut it into squares and serve with extra maple syrup.
