The Pioneer Woman Makes These Surprising Foods In A Waffle Iron

As a chef who's constantly churning out new recipes, Food Network star Ree Drummond is a big fan of TikTok hacks that make putting together a great meal accessible for many experience levels. That's evident through the fact that she's never been shy about showing her love for multi-use gadgets such as a fish spatula, which she told "Today" she uses for everything but actual fish. Another thing "The Pioneer Woman" loves are appliances that simplify the cooking process and allow her to make a variety of dishes, like the ever-popular instant pot (via The Pioneer Woman). But there's one gadget in particular that's so versatile that Drummond deemed it an "essential" for her daughter Alex to have when she moved away to college: a waffle iron (via Delish).

Now, before you raise an eyebrow, try not to let not the words "waffle iron" deceive you into thinking this beloved appliance is only good for sweet breakfasts. In fact, according to that Delish interview, Drummond uses her waffle maker to create plenty of dishes that involve neither buttermilk nor maple syrup. So if you've been contemplating whether to yank yours from the back of your cupboard storage and give it away, you may want to read the following first.

Ingredients like pizza dough, cheese, and eggs may seem the last thing you think of putting in your waffle iron, but for Drummond, they cook up just as well in the standalone appliance as they would in an oven. She was happy to share this fact with Delish, as she said the two foods she loves to use her waffle iron for are  "omelettes and pizza." When questioned her cooking method for the latter, she explained, "Put bread dough in the waffle iron and bake it a few minutes, then throw on cheese and toppings, like pineapple and peppers, and close it and let it cook until the cheese melts."

When you think about it, Drummond's hack is pretty genius, since it allows you to easily throw together a full meal without having to worry about raising the temperature in your entire kitchen from the oven heat. And she's not the only one who understands the amazing trick of waffling things. Cruise over to the Food Network website, and you'll find several recipes for waffle-fied foods, including quesadillas and the catchy-named "waffled falafel."

And if you're looking for inspiration directly from the "Pioneer Woman" herself, Drummond also has videos on her official YouTube channel demonstrating how to make her own signature waffle-iron hash browns and waffle-wiches. As far as using the waffle iron to cook the omelette she mentioned, you can consult her signature "wafflet" recipe on Food Network.