Chicken and waffles have always been a popular comfort food, and it’s easy to understand why. Chewy, sweet waffles paired with crispy, savory fried chicken create a delightful contrast in every bite. It takes care of your sweet and salty cravings all in one meal.
But while chicken and waffles might be delicious, they aren’t exactly healthy or vegan-friendly. So, what should you do to make this meal healthy while still being able to enjoy it? Replace the greasy chicken with tastebud pleasing crusted cauliflower.
Making Crusted Cauliflower
Being healthy doesn’t have to be boring. Though it might resemble albino broccoli and look pretty bland, cauliflower can be a flavorful and fun snack. Especially when you add a tasty, crispy bean chip coating to it.
There are plenty of crusted cauliflower recipes out there, and some of them can get pretty complicated. Lucky for you, we know a simple recipe for crusted cauliflower that will leave you wondering why you ever bothered with chicken in the first place.
You only need three ingredients: flour, a bag of Beanfields chips, and cauliflower. (We told you it was simple.) If you’ve ever made fried anything, you know what comes next.
With one hand, take your cauliflower and cover it in flour. Then, use your other hand (got to keep things clean) to dredge the cauliflower in flax egg. Return the cauliflower to your dry ingredients hand and coat it with Beanfields chips.
Once your cauliflower is nice and fully covered, it’s time to fry until crisp. Use an air fryer to keep things healthy.
Using Beanfields Chips
Most crusted cauliflower recipes will tell you to use breadcrumbs in your coating. Why didn’t we? Because Beanfields chips offer more benefits and taste way better than a breadcrumb coating.
Beanfields chips are made from, you guessed it, beans. This means our chips help satisfy your taste and hunger cravings. While a breadcrumb coating is full of carbs and lacking in nutrients, a Beanfields coating gives you tons of fiber, protein and potassium.
Plus, there’s only so much you can add to a breadcrumb coating to up its flavor game. Made with artisanal seasoning, Beanfields lets you get a little more creative with your flavors. For example, if you want your crusted cauliflower to be on the spicy side, all you need to do is coat it in our Jalapeño Nacho chips for an added kick. Or maybe you’re looking for something a little cheesy, in which case our Cheddar Sour Cream (still vegan) chips would do the job.
Crusted Cauliflower and Waffles
Cauliflower is a guilt-free, vegan, healthy and delicious alternative to the fried chicken part of chicken and waffles. Even if you aren’t vegan, it’s a great way to cut back on your meat consumption (Meatless Monday, anyone?) and pick up a healthy snacking habit.
Once you’ve made your crusted cauliflower with Beanfields chips, plate it with your favorite waffles and maple syrup for a southern comfort food that’s easy on the waistline and your conscience.
