Chicken & Waffles with Spicy Maple Drizzle

I never had chicken and waffles until I met my husband. I know it's a Southern dish typically made with crispy fried chicken, but here in the Northeast, it's made with shredded chicken in a cream sauce. I wasn't a fan of the creamy kind and wrote off chicken and waffles—that was until I had the real deal at a pop-up dinner that I attended. (Read about Pop-Up dining here. It's an amazing experience.) This version, which included a popcorn dusted chicken thigh on top of a cornmeal waffle with a drizzle of jalapeno syrup, was the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and spicy. I couldn't stop thinking about the dish afterward, so I decided to recreate it. While it wasn't as good as the original dish, it satisfied my chicken and waffles craving.

Chicken & Waffles with Spicy Maple Drizzle
Inspired by Peculiar Culinary Company

Breaded Chicken
3 chicken breasts, sliced in half
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and place on a plate. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Dip chicken into the bread crumbs, then the egg mixture, and again into the bread crumbs. Place chicken in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Belgium Waffle
Bake your favorite waffle, using a waffle iron. I used a box mix, but you can make your favorite waffle recipe. This one from Alton Brown is really tasty! 

Spicy Maple Drizzle
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until syrup is warm. Drizzle on top of chicken and waffles and enjoy!