RECIPE: Make Tupelo Honey’s Mac-N-Cheese Waffles with Asheville Hot Fried Chicken
We enjoy everything at Tupelo Honey, but we are crazy about the mac-n-cheese waffles with Asheville hot fried chicken. We would love it if you could get the recipe for us so we can make it for our family. — Max Alligood, Atlanta
As if a dish of chicken and waffles isn’t indulgent enough, Tupelo Honey executive chef Eric Gabrynowicz has come up with one more way to gild the lily: add macaroni and cheese. The restaurant tops the batter in each waffle square with a big dollop of macaroni and cheese, then closes the waffle iron and bakes the squares until the waffles are done and the mac and cheese is crisp.
At the restaurant, they prepare the chicken in a deep fryer. We’ve adapted the recipe for a Dutch oven for our readers who are unlikely to have a deep fryer at home.
The granulated honey called for in the Asheville Hot Dust can be found at a spice shop like Penzeys or online marketplaces such as Savory Spice. Sometimes labeled “honey powder,” it’s a great ingredient when you want honey flavor but not the added moisture from liquid honey.
- 2 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup Seasoned Flour for Chicken (see recipe)
- Asheville Hot Dust (see recipe)
- 1/2 cup Waffle Batter (see recipe)
- 4 tablespoons prepared Baked Mac-N-Cheese (see recipe), divided
- 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup sliced dill pickles
- 3/4 teaspoon Sriracha
- 3/4 teaspoon liquid honey
- 1 teaspoon chopped chives, for garnish
- A day ahead of serving, put chicken thighs in a food-safe plastic bag or bowl and cover with buttermilk. Close bag or cover bowl and refrigerate 18 hours. Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes in advance of cooking.
- In a Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees.
- Put Seasoned Flour for Chicken in a pie plate. Remove chicken thighs from buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Discard buttermilk. Dip thighs in flour, turning to cover all sides. Shake to remove any extra flour and put into hot oil. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from oil and drain. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with Asheville Hot Dust. Keep warm.
- While chicken is cooking, heat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Divide batter between two squares. Top batter in each square with 2 tablespoons Mac-N-Cheese. Close waffle iron and cook 4 minutes or until done to your preference.
- Arrange cooked waffles on serving plate. Top each square with a piece of cooked chicken. Pour dressing over chicken and garnish with pickles. In a small bowl, whisk together Sriracha and honey, and drizzle around waffles. Garnish with chives. Serves 1.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 1,442 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 68 grams protein, 128 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 73 grams total fat (24 grams saturated), 333 milligrams cholesterol, 1,846 milligrams sodium.- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Store in covered container until needed. Will keep indefinitely. Makes 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 30 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), 1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated), no cholesterol, 640 milligrams sodium.- 1/2 cup granulated honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, cayenne and Creole seasoning. Store in covered container until needed. Will keep indefinitely. Makes 1/2 cup.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 72 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), trace protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 41 milligrams sodium.- 2 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla and whisk again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in butter.
- Cook waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions for your waffle maker.
- Makes 4 1/2 cups batter, enough for 20 (4-inch) Belgian-style waffles.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per waffle: 96 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 3 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 29 milligrams cholesterol, 136 milligrams sodium.- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup panko
- 1 pound macaroni
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 4 eggs
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish.
- Make topping: Melt 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and panko. Set aside.
- Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions. When done, drain and cool. Set aside in a large bowl.
- In the hot saucepan used to cook the macaroni, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly to create a roux. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Stir cheddar into roux and then stir cheese mixture into bowl of pasta. Season to taste.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and then quickly stir into macaroni mixture. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with topping. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. Serves 8.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 637 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 27 grams protein, 67 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 29 grams total fat (15 grams saturated), 164 milligrams cholesterol, 467 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Tupelo Honey, 4600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-649-6334, tupelohoneycafe.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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