We are sick.  As a matter of fact, we have been sick for a week.  It’s one of the many joys of having kids.  Think of them as dirt magnets.  They attract every germ in a hundred mile radius and polite as always, they share them with me! Lovely little stinkers.

It’s hard to get my kids to eat when they are sick.  Sarayah would live on pickles, if I let her and Aidan’s food of choice is pretzels. But, I think I have found a good solution. My kids love waffles! My kids like chicken soup. So, I came up with a twist on an old Southern classic-chicken and waffles. Typically, chicken and waffles is a dish that consists of a ye ole typical waffle served with two pieces of fried chicken on the side or one top. But, mine are a little different.
Instead of greasy fried chicken, I make a healthy chicken gravy packed with vegetables and tender chunks of chicken. This is served over the waffles for a warm savory meal that is sure to chase the sniffles away.

~Serves 6-10 people~

Food Stuffs:

4 Carrots-peeled
1 Large onion
4 Stalks of celery (remember, the hearts have the best flavor)
2 Med potatoes
1 Leek-Clean and all sand removed (leeks are very good for your heart and I cook with them whenever possible)
1 Roasting Chicken-gunk inside removed
1 tsp Parsley, 32 oz chicken stock, pinch ground sage, 1 tsp cracked pepper, salt to taste
Flour and butter

You can do this one of two ways. You can use your crock pot or you can use the oven. I like the oven best since it allows the chicken to roast and get a nice rich flavor. But, I have done this in my crock pot several times, and it is very good. You choose. If you choose the crock pot, remove skin and let chicken cook for 4-6hrs; then follow the rest of the steps, skipping the boil for 30min.

First, cut the carrots and celery into 3in chunks – set aside. Dice onions and leeks and saute until they are a nice golden brown.  Dice potatoes into 1in cubes- set aside. In a roasting pan place chicken breast down. Add chicken stock and the onion and leeks. Brush with a little melted butter and sprinkle with sage and half the pepper and a bit of salt. cover with foil or lid, creating a nice seal. Bake until the meat starts to fall off the bones. Remove from oven, peel skin off and put into a large soup pot, adding 3 cup of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30min. This will draw out the nutrients from the chicken. Remove bones-I use tongs so I don’t burn myself- and chicken. Set chicken aside and throw out the bones. Add carrots, potatoes and celery to pot. Cook just until the carrots are tender…NOT soggy. You want them to be al dente – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_dente. Remove the carrots, celery and potatoes.

Now we are going to make a “slurry”. A slurry is a mixture of water or milk (depending on your recipe) and is an easy way to thicken soups and gravies. Again, if you have a gluten allergy you can always use corn starch or rice flour. But the cornstarch gets weird when refrigerated.  Mix 1 cup milk with 4 Tbsp of flour. Beat till there are no lumps.  Slowly add the slurry to your chicken broth, making sure to stir constantly so as not to get lumps. Once the broth thickens into a nice rich gravy, add chunks of chicken and veggies back into the pot. Season with parsley and remaining pepper. Salt to taste.

There are a TON of recipes on the internet and in cookbooks. I like the one in Better Homes Cook Book (pg 130). I cut the sugar by half and you could use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. I use butter instead of oil. Make sure you get your waffles nice and crispy.

Are you ready to plate? Place one waffle on each plate.  Ladle a generous amount of veggies and chicken on top and eat up! I like to serve with Green tea Iced and honey. If you want a glass of wine, I suggest a Riesling. This a sweeter wine that compliments the sweetness of the waffle and savory of the chicken. It also happens to be my favorite white wine.

I made this for my family one day and my brother-in-law and a Marine buddy of his stopped in. Let’s just say, I had to make a 3rd batch of waffles before lunch was over. This is truly one of those close your eyes and let the stress and aches melt away kind of meals. Totally worth the effort and very good for you.

*Tip: I know this is one of those labor intensive meals. So, why not make a big batch and freeze it. You can freeze the chicken and broth and make fresh veggies when you are ready to serve! Let’s face it, it’s germ season. Be ready the next time your little time-bombs bring home the latest super bug.