Sweet Potato Llapingacho Waffles

“We need to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third.” ― Leslie Knope

The elite runners of the Raleigh Distance Project (RDP) have been hard at work training AND creating incredible recipes to fuel their adventures. This month, they've shared a delicious savory recipe perfect for a post-workout dinner: Sweet Potato Llapingacho Waffles.

From the RDP: Llapingachos are potato or yuca pancakes stuffed with cheese, a traditional Ecuadorian recipe normally accompanied by a warm peanut sauce seasoned with herbs and/or spices. We took this concept and added our own spin to it using sweet potato and popping it in the waffle iron to add extra texture.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• Potato Waffles
  • 2 medium/large sweet potatoes (boiled, peeled, mashed, and cooled)
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp gluten-free flour
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • optional: ¼-⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup shredded or chopped pre-cooked chicken
  • Mozzarella Cheese (We chopped up two slices of grass-fed mozzarella cheese and used a ¼ of this in each)

• Peanut Sauce
  • ¼ cup Big Spoon Roaster's Peanut Butter
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 2-4 tbsp water
  • 3-4 tbsp finely chopped onion
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • ⅛ tsp paprika
  • ⅛ tsp chili powder
  • Optional: Pinch of cayenne to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

• Optional toppings: chopped kale & avocado (because you can NEVER have too much avocado!)
• To make it vegan: Use dairy-free milk and black beans + vegan cheese as the filling.

Instructions:

1. In a small skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and then add the onion, cooking until translucent. Next, add all of the spices and cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring often.
2. Heat the waffle iron.
3. Combine the onion mixture with the mashed sweet potato and flour. Mix well. The batter should be thick.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop a little under a full scoop into the waffle iron and spread it out as best you can. Add some chicken and cheese and then top with another scoop of sweet potato, spreading this out over the top. Cook until browned and cooked through.
5. Repeat until all batter is used. Should be enough for 4 square waffles.
6. While the waffles are cooking, prepare the peanut sauce.
7. Start by mixing half of the milk with the nut butter. Then add the 2 tsp of olive oil to a small skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add all of the spices and cook an additional 1 min.
8. Reduce the heat to low and add the milk and peanut mixture plus the rest of the milk, stirring constantly. The sauce will likely thicken up so start by adding 2 tbsp of water and mix well. If the sauce is still too thick, add the additional 2 tbsp of water.
9. Top your waffles with the sauce, chopped kale, avocado, and any other goodies and enjoy!