sometimes i will embark on a curious cooking journey only to find that after my ambitious efforts, the recipe just didn’t make the kelly cut.
these fritters are not one of those recipes.
these fritters literally rocked my waffle iron world.
first, let’s chat about fritters. what in the world are they?
the internet told me that the definition of a fritter is:
frit·ter 2
(frĭt′ər)
n.
A small cake made of batter, often containing fruit, vegetables, or fish, sautéed or deep-fried.
these fritters have a batter + they have veggies. that’s where the copy cat-ing stops.
the biggest change of pace is that in lieu of the traditional deep-frying method {uhm. have you ever cleaned up after a shallow deep fry sesh?} i took a walk on the waffle iron wild side + let the gadget do all the work!
so, now, let’s chat about waffle irons.
- they get fricken HOT. i have the burn on my finger to prove it. so, don’t be like me and
drink three energy drinks before cooking then start an impromptu dance partybump into it! be mindful of the hot fella! - aren’t waffle irons just for waffles? this might blow your mind, but no! turns out the waffle iron is a legit crisp-up master! it’s awesome at cooking all sorts of things {hashbrowns, quesadillas, grilled cheese. .} let these fritters be the first edible delight to show you that!
- seriously though, i don’t have a waffle iron. that’s okay! you can pan-fry these in a screaming hot skillet. but. if i were you, i would hop onto amazon + treat yo self.
- like. $29.99 kind of treat yo self.
the batter ingredients are super different! it’s a strange-yet-perfect combo of spaghetti squash, crunchy quinoa, zesty scallions, cheese + some spices to keep things dancing on your palate.
for the quinoa, i took a microwave short cut {i’m basically the inspector kitchen gadget} + used one of those 2 minute steam bags. i think you should follow my lead on that one. avoiding the stove-top cook time is a great upside, but mainly, who needs another saucepan to clean! {read: life is SO hard}
now, for the main event, let’s talk spaghetti squash! because if you’re like me, you’ll see this recipe and nearly convince yourself to decide against it because it looks too complicated! but stick with me as i give you the key to success with this recipe..
let’s start with the facts:
- roasting a spaghetti squash takes roughly 50 minutes.
- in this recipe, you want your spaghetti squash to be rid of as much of its moisture as possible.
with this knowledge handy, i suggest to toss a spaghetti squash in the oven on a night when {another} dinner is being made stove-top. then, simply shred the squash with a fork + toss it in an airtight tupperware! not only have you completed a double-task but you also planned ahead!
because, a few days later when the hunger bug taps on your shoulder, you my friend, will have spaghetti squash ready for the batter + these fast fritters will waffle-ize {is that a word? how would you say it?} in a jiffy!
if you want to make these on the same day as your squash roasting – that’s totally acceptable! just grab some cheesecloth, wrap ’em up + take out the anger you have for your new boss on the squash strands!
i’m posting these festive fritters as an appetizer idea but feel free to make them into a dinner! you could serve them alongside a side salad or with a big bowl of soup – maybe dip ’em in the soup! maybe you could treat them as bread + make a sandwich with ’em! or fold ’em up around some chorizo + make fritter tacos!
sorry. i just got SUPER excited. back to the point. .
these make for an awesome appetizer because the batter can be made ahead of time, they’re finger food, there’s major hidden veggie power + by using the waffle iron, they crisp to perfection in just FOUR minutes!
so when last minute company came knockin’ at my door for thursday night football, i was able to whip these guys up before the commercial break was even over!
not only did i look like a total Martha but that might be an entertaining hail mary! amiright?
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup flour
- 2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked + squeezed of it’s moisture {see notes below}
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup shredded italian blend cheese
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 6 dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- kosher salt + pepper, to taste
- sour cream, to garnish
- plug in your waffle iron to get it super hot-n-ready!
- in the bowl of your stand mixer, add the eggs. beat, on high, for 2 minutes.
- add flour + continue beating to combine. {about 1 minute}
- next, add spaghetti squash, quinoa, both cheeses, scallions + hot sauce to the egg mixture.
- beat, on medium, until fully combined + uniform consistency has been achieved.
- once the waffle iron is ready to go, spray it with nonstick cooking spray + use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out the spaghetti squash mixture. drop the dollop of mixture onto the waffle iron {my iron fit 4 dollops at a time} + close the waffle iron lid down!
- cook the fritters for 4 minutes + raise lid. they should be perfectly crisp around the edges, but add more time to suite your preferences/until they reach a golden brown!
- use a rubber spatula to easily lift the fritters up + out of the waffle iron. serve with a garnish of sour cream + extra scallions, if desired. enjoy!
the no waffle iron method is to pan fry these fellas.
you’ll start with a SCREAMING hot skillet. once the skillet is ready, add 1 tablespoon olive oil until it sizzles + smokes. then, drop the fritters onto the skillet, cook for 2-3 minutes, flip with a spatula + finish cooking the other side until golden brown. be sure to let the skillet get back up in temperature between batches – if it’s not hot, fritters they will not! {should i put that on a tshirt?}
knowing how to cook a spaghetti squash is valuable knowledge here!
here is the step-by-step:
- preheat your oven to 425º
- cut the squash in two halves {hot dog style} + scrape out the seeds with a spoon {like a pumpkin!}.
- place the halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet + roast for 40 minutes.
- remove from the oven, flip the halves cut side up + let the squash cool.
- when cool enough to handle, using a fork, scrape the flesh away from the skin to receive ‘spaghetti-like’ strands.
NEXT. for this recipe you decide whether to use the squash the day-of or to let it ‘dry out’ on its own. . .
DAY OF ↓
wrap the spaghetti squash strands in a cheese cloth or paper towels + SQUEEEEEZE out as much moisture as you possibly can!
NEXT OR UP TO FIVE DAYS LATER ↓
place the squash strands in a tupperware in the fridge. it will naturally release it’s moisture over time!
i used scallions in my recipe. spinach, kale, chives or fresh jalapenos would all substitute wonderfully! you could also swap brown rice for the quinoa!
i added sriracha to the sour cream for a bit more heat-centric dipping sauce – give it a try if you’re a heat lover!
i suggest to store the batter in an airtight container in the fridge + just cook up your fritters as the time comes! but cooked fritters will reheat with a quick zap in the microwave!
did you know that the more yellow the spaghetti squash the more flavorful it is?
Will the fritters freeze well?
hi! they will freeze! i would recommend to freeze them singularly or layered with wax paper in-between for easy ‘when you feel like one’ removal! i would also suggest to increase cook time for perfect crisping! let me know if you try it + have suggestions!
-k
I don’t want to use flour, any suggestion on a substitution? Thanks 🙂
hi amanda!
you could swap the AP flour for coconut flour, almond flour or even almond meal. i have not personally tried those alternatives but would love to hear your results, if you do! -k
Hi, This looks awesome. Do you have the calorie count?
hi francine! i use myfitnesspal.com for all my caloric information! i highly suggest their site as they are experts! thank you for stopping by! -k
Ever tried to make these dairy free? Just curious before I set out to experiment.
hi carrie! i have not tried to make them dairy free.. but i would LOVE to hear how your experiment goes! i know there are a lot of great dairy-free shredded cheese alternatives out there.. so i can’t see why they wouldn’t swap in like a dream! let me know your results! -k
Question on proportions… You must mean to measure the two cups of spaghetti squash strands after cooking, right? (Not measure two cups of spaghetti squash, and then cook it.) So for the two cups of quinoa, do you mean measured before or after cooking?
hi kate! sorry for the confusion. . both the spaghetti squash + quinoa measurements are of them when they are COOKED. for a general rule of thumb – a 2 pound spaghetti squash should yield about 2.5 cups of cooked strands and for quinoa 1 cup dry equals 3 cups cooked! hope this helps, thanks for stopping by my site =) -k
Thank you for the idea of savory waffle fritters! I’ve yet to make these as written, because I keep substituting things I have on hand instead, like zucchini. However, every time I make them, they are absolutely delicious! I make a whole batch and eat them for breakfast all week. Thanks!
Christa, I am so glad you enjoy them! What a great idea you have to eat them for breakfast.. I’m totally trying that this week! -Kelly