From Falafel Waffles to Cupcake Cones: How to Mash Up Your Favorite Foods

Ever since the invention of the Cronut, the pastry that is half croissant and half donut, food mash-ups have been a culinary trend. Now there are waffle tacos, ramen burgers, chips in all types of savory flavors, and other food hybrids. Some of the creations seem inspired and creative while others are outrageous and deemed “Frankenfood” (which is also the name of an upcoming TV show about culinary mash-ups).

So, what are mash-ups exactly? They are two stand-alone foods put together to make one unique and hopefully, delicious dish. Think of the foods one might eat after a few too many drinks or the cravings of a pregnant woman – pickle-flavored ice cream, anyone? Gone are the days when you had to choose between two dishes. Now you can have mash-ups and enjoy two favorites in one dish.

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Mexican Mash-ups

We all love Mexican food – the spices, the flavors, the tortilla chips. Have you ever found yourself trying to decide between Mexican food and some other cuisine for dinner? Wish mash-ups, you can have two favorites in one. One of the most common Mexican mash-ups is making lasagna with Mexican flavors. You get all the Mexican flavors of enchiladas but the look and texture of an Italian classic. Try this Mexican Lasagna, this other Mexican Lasagna, and this Chili Tortilla Lasagna. Another ethnic mash-up happens when you put Mexican food together with Irish cuisine. The result? This Mexican Shepherd’s Pie and these Colcannon Quesadillas. If you can’t decide between Indian and Mexican, make these Sweet and Spicy Lentil Dal Tacos. Speaking of tacos, try filling the tortillas with unexpected foods like these Falafel Tacos.

2. Wild Waffles

As if we need more reasons to love waffles, waffle mash-ups are taking over. Perhaps, the most common example of a successful waffle mash-up is the waffle cone which was just a waffle rolled up and stuffed with ice cream. Of course, no one can resist the deliciousness of fried vegan chicken served on top of a waffle with gravy. Try this version of the classic — Vegan Seltzer Waffles With Crispy Sweet Potatoes and Light Chik’n Gravy which also happens to be gluten-free. One of the yummiest mash-ups I’ve heard of happens when you put creamy mashed potatoes in a waffle maker. I can’t wait to try that. Similarly, when you put falafel batter into a waffle maker, you get these amazing Falafel Waffles. If you love brownies and you love waffles, you will fall head over heels for these Fudgy Brownie Waffles. My favorite cake is carrot cake so you can only imagine how much I love the idea of these Carrot Cake Waffles with Cream Cheese Frosting. Is it breakfast or is it dessert? The answer is yes.

3. Pancake Pairings

Pancakes are a pretty perfect food. You can have them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. They can be made in dozens of flavors and you can top them with an infinite number of syrups, fruits, and vegan butter. Oh, and they can be sweet or savory. Talk about creativity — cardamom pancakes are the foundation of this Pancake Cake with Sweet Potato Chocolate Frosting. If we can have cake for breakfast, we can also have cookies like these Valentine’s Day Vegan Pancake Cookies. I love cinnamon rolls, especially the frosting. These Coconutty Cinnamon Roll Pancakes would keep me from hitting the snooze button. Finally, there is no need to order pancakes with a side of hash browns when you can get these Potato-Leek Hash Brown Pancakes with Homemade Ketchup.

4. Better Burgers

There are bean burgers, veggie burgers, tofu burgers, and seitan burgers. You can make burgers out of anything which makes them perfect for mashups. It’s so hard to choose between burgers and pizza so don’t choose and make these Pizza Burgers instead. Moussaka is a Greek dish of eggplant and potatoes and this Moussaka Burger with Béchamel Cheese Sauce is a yummy twist on a classic dish. Every New Year’s Eve, I make a big pot of Hoppin’ John to welcome in the New Year. These Hoppin’ John Sliders with Smoky Lemon Aioli Sauce and Sauteed Greens are a wonderful way to celebrate any day.

5. Pizza Pizza

No food allows more creativity than a pizza. You can make it with a variety of crusts including gluten-free, grain-free, and yeast-free. Tomato sauce is great but so is pesto sauce or BBQ sauce. And when it comes to toppings, the sky’s the limit. We made pizza burgers so why not burger pizza? This Tempeh Burger Pizza with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and pickles will satisfy both pizza and burger lovers. Turn a bowl of zucchini noodles into a classic pizza dish like this Pepperoni Pizza Zoodles. Use cornmeal to make this Polenta Pizza and cauliflower to make this Indian mash-up of Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Black Mung Bean Curry on top. I always like a salad on the side of my pizza but this Caesar Salad Pizza makes me happy too. Want mac and cheese on a pizza? Ok, then make this Vegan Grilled Cheesy Mac ‘n Rib Pizza. Finally, if you want to add a mash-up to your Thanksgiving table, make this Green Bean Casserole Pizza. Everyone will give thanks for it.

6. Dessert Duos

The only thing better than one dessert is two desserts on one plate. If you are a fan of s’mores, you’ll be happy to know there are so many ways to eat them. Try these S’mores Donuts or turn your brownies into s’mores (or vice versa) with these S’mores Sweet Potato Brownies. Carrot cake meets cupcake in these Carrot Cupcake Concoctions, Raw Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, and these Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream and Chocolate. Go crazy and try a 3-way mash-up with these Banana Bread French Toast Cupcakes. These Cupcake Cones are not only a yummy mash-up but they are practical because the cupcakes in the cones keep the ice cream from melting and leaking all over.

7. Make It a Double

Let’s not ignore all the mash-ups that can happen when you combine your favorite beverage with your favorite foods. You don’t need a glass to enjoy these Strawberry Vanilla Lemonade Cupcakes, Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes, Vegan Cinnamon Latte Cupcakes, and Margarita Ice Cream. Booze finds its way into savory foods as well. You will want to make these Fried Green Beer Tomatoes, Beer and Chocolate Chili with Smoky Sofrito Sauce, Kraut Stuffed Pretzel Cannoli, and White Wine Garlic Butter.

Let your imagination run wild and see what creative combos you can come up with. Share your mash-ups with us in the comments.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
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• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!