all in. [fried chicken & waffle sandwich w. bacon, ranch & chives]

Fried.Chicken.Waffle.Sandwich. Are you in? I know I’m all in, especially considering bacon and ranch are involved. ;-)

fried chicken & waffle sandwich w. bacon, ranch & chives

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 2 hours 45 mins

Ingredients

Waffle recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 oz. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp. chives, chopped
Fried chicken recipe:
2-3 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller chunks
1½ cups buttermilk
1 tbsp. Frank's Hot Sauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. cayenne
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1½ tsp. black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Ranch dressing recipe:
1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
Frank's Hot Sauce, if desired
Sandwich recipe:
Waffles
Fried chicken
Bacon, cooked
Ranch dressing
Roma tomatoes, sliced
Chives, chopped

Instructions

For the waffles: Preheat the waffle iron.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients--flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a separate bowl, quickly whisk together the eggs and slightly cooled melted butter, then add buttermilk and mix together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined, add chives; do not over-mix. Allow batter to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron (mine took about 6 minutes). Place waffles on a plate and set aside, until ready to assemble sandwiches.
For the fried chicken: Pour buttermilk into a large bowl, then add hot sauce and mix. Add chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour.
Next, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, cayenne, garlic powder and black pepper.
To coat the chicken, grab a piece from the buttermilk bowl and let buttermilk drip off for a few seconds; add to the flour. Pat the flour into the chicken on both sides, then return to the buttermilk and coat both sides. Place the chicken in the flour once more, coating both sides. Place the coated chicken on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Repeat steps with all pieces of chicken. Let the chicken rest 10-15 minutes.
In a medium to large skillet, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil. Once oil is hot, fry the chicken in batches, about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Place fried chicken on a separate wire rack placed over a baking sheet.
For the ranch: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill. (Add Frank's Hot Sauce, if you want an extra kick).
For assembly: Take one waffle then place one to two pieces of fried chicken on top. Next, add tomato slices, bacon, chives and drizzle ranch on top. Place another waffle on top of sandwich.