Photo credit: Michael Kartes
Everybody likes the Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster, but I always found them very salty. So I decided to put my own spin on them. In this recipe, you really get that wonderful fresh biscuit flavor without all the salt, and the cheese and bacon really come through to give you a tastier biscuit in my opinion. In addition to cheddar, I use Colby Jack and smoked Gouda. The bacon adds this savory, smoky flavor that makes these biscuits perfect with seafood; for breakfast with eggs, grits, or ham; or just on their own.
Excerpt courtesy Rosie Mayes from “Super Soul Food with Cousin Rosie.”
Makes 12 small biscuits
INGREDIENTS
butter or shortening, for greasing
8 slices bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter, shredded on a cheese grater
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
½ cup shredded or crumbled smoked Gouda
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted, for brushing
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, then add the bacon and cook, flipping once, until it’s nice and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside to cool, but reserve 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat. Crumble or chop the bacon.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, herbes de Provence, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Next, add the shredded butter and pour in the buttermilk, and work them into the dough. Gently fold in all three cheeses, the crumbled bacon, and the reserved 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
- Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are fluffy and risen.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve warm.
(c)2022 by Rosie Mayes. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Super Soul Food by permission of Sasquatch Books. Read more about Rosie’s thoughts on the book in our article “Rosie Mayes Connects Fans with Super Soul Food for Second Cookbook.”
