Plastered all over Pinterest are these darn Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Not just any cheesy biscuit, but the copycat recipe for the Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster. Confession- I’ve never been to Red Lobster. I don’t like fish. Any sea creature type animal that lives in the water I am just not overly fond of eating. Yuck. So I have never even stepped within 25 feet of a Red Lobster, which has deeply deprived me of the joy of Cheddar Bay Biscuits. One which I didn’t know I was missing out on until the creation of Pinterest and I was bombarded with the recipe.
I finally got the chance to whip some up for myself to get an idea of what they were all about. I had some extra shredded cheddar lying around. It was time.
And they were so yummy! The outside was slightly crisp, adding a nice crunchy element, while the inside was incredibly fluffy in light. Plus, the flavor was awesome! Like a puffy cheez-it haha. Probably more like the flavor you get from cheese-straws, if you’ve ever had those, but I’m from the North and have only had that experience once. I think a cheez-it is a more reliable comparison haha. It’s the only way I can describe the distinct baked, nutty cheese flavor you get from these. I got the same kind of flavor when I made my own homemade cheddar crackers.
I’ve made cheddar biscuits before- Ina Garten’s Dill-Cheddar Biscuits to be exact. They were good. Particularly because I have a deep affection for dill…. but these- these were better. They had better texture and they flavor of the garlic-parsley butter slathered on top was to-die-for! Plus they are a drop biscuit. The simpler, the better. Especially when flavor isn’t sacrificed
I dropped my biscuits on a sheet try lined with parchment, covered them in foil and popped them in the freezer. Once they were frozen, I placed them in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. The day before I wanted to bake a few off I would put them in tupperware to thaw in the refrigerator and bake them from the fridge. If you can’t plan ahead like this you can always just pop them in the oven frozen too. I do that with biscuits all the time. Just cook them a little longer and cover them with foil if the start to brown too much before they are cooked through.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Serves: 12-14 biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2½ teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6 ounces grated yellow cheddar cheese (about 1¼ cups)
- ¾ cup whole milk
For the garlic butter:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Make the biscuits: Pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse until combined. Add the butter; pulse 4 or 5 times, or until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and gently knead until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.
Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in scant ¼-cup portions, 2 inches apart, and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the garlic butter: Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Brush the biscuits with the garlic butter and serve warm.
