My Cheddar (not Bay) Biscuits and My (not Bisquick) Biscuit Mix

 

So, I'm pregnant, and being so I get cravings. Frequently this time around, and a couple of weeks ago all I wanted were the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits. I'd been down this road before, and I've tried many of the online versions only to be disappointed, so at least I knew what not to do.

I pulled out the standard ingredients, including biscuit mix, only I didn't have any biscuit mix. Dun dun dun.

Panic like whoa.

See, I live in a small town. We have 2 restaurants that are really more like diners (and one of them only sells chicken wings, but there's a third going in now, woot!). To actually get to a red lobster is a 30 minute drive each way, and I was already in my pajamas (something I tend to get into 0.34 seconds after getting home from work). So, my only option was to make the biscuits from scratch. Or go to the grocery store (please recall pajama statement above).

So, I started hunting online for a biscuit recipe, but instead of finding a biscuit recipe, I found a biscuit mix recipe, and it ended up being awesome! I would link it, but I can't remember where it was, and I forgot to favorite the page. I'll try to figure this out later though, because they deserve all the credit!

Enjoy! I have 3 times since I figured this out (please remember I'm pregnant), and now because I'm typing it out, I'm pretty sure they just got added to the menu tonight. I'm sure they'll work with Asian marinated pork tenderloins!

Cheddar (not Bay) Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 17 minutes
Makes: 12 large biscuits

Ingredients:

Biscuits:
2½ c biscuit mix
4 tbsp butter, straight from the fridge cold
¾ c whole milk, cold
½ tsp garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated medium cheddar cheese

Topping:
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine the biscuit mix, butter and cheese with a pastry blender (or cut in with a couple of knifes or forks, I highly recommend getting a pastry blender though!). You want the butter to be in pea sized pieces mixed with the flour.

3. Gently stir in the milk and garlic powder. Don't over mix this or the biscuits won't be fluffy

4. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop up the mix and place onto the prepared baking sheet (you're hands will get a little messy here.

5. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn a light brown

6. While the biscuits are baking, mix all the topping ingredients together. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush the topping onto the top of each biscuit. Don't be shy here!

NOTE: You can also make smaller, ¼ cup sized biscuits. Just decrease the time in the oven by a few minutes and keep your eye on them. I like the big ones because then I say that I only ate 2 (or 3, or 4) of them, instead of 4 (or 6, or 8).

Pantry Biscuit Mix

This is fantastic because you just store it in a large airtight container in a cool, dry place, or the freezer, for up to 8 months! I found this mix to make biscuits far superior to the store-bought brand...but that's just my humble opinion.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 11 cups of mix

Ingredients:


9 c all purpose flour
¼ c baking powder
1 tbsp salt
2 c shortening

Directions:


1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Store until needed.

Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Apple Bread

I'm asking a favor today: Don't just me because I give this to Oliver for breakfast, and snack, and just whenever he wants it. Ignore the chocolate and focus on the fact that it's full of zucchini and applesauce. And it's delicious. So, so delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes
Makes: 2 (9" x 5") loafs

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 eggs
2 c white sugar
½ c vegetable oil
½ c apple sauce
3½ - 4 c grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (hello Pam) two 9" x 5" loaf pans.

2. In a small dish, mix together the melted butter and 2 tbsp of the cocoa powder.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla, cocoa powder and the cocoa powder butter mixture.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips so that the chips are well coated in flour. Stir the flour mixture in the zucchini mixture until well combined, then pour into the prepared loaf tins.

5. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes:


1 - You can also pour this into 4 of the smaller aluminum loaf pans you buy in the foil aisle at the grocery store, then freeze the cooked loafs. These smaller loafs take 40 minutes to bake.

2 - You can substitute the 2 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp of the cocoa powder for 2 unsweetened chocolate squares (1 oz each), melted. I just find it easier to use the cocoa powder and butter.

Tips & Tricks: By adding the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and giving it a good stir to make sure they're well coated in flour, you stop them from sinking in the batter as the loafs bake!

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread

First off, a warning. This takes some time...like...a lot of time. It's totally worth it though, and with the cold weather coming, well, this is going to be a staple for the night we decide to stay in and watch all those old Christmas movies with Oliver (remember Frosty and Rudolph!). It's worth it, but it's definitely for those special weekends where you've got a day to devote. Oh but is it worth it!

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes + cooling time
Serves: 8

Ingredients:


Dough:

1 cup whole milk, warm

1/3 c water, warm

4 tbsp butter, melted

3 tbsp honey

3¾ c bread flour

2¼ tsp (1 envelope) instant or rapid rise yeast

2 tsp salt

Topping:

7 tbsp butter, melted, plus extra for the pan

1 tbsp vanilla extract

¾ c granulated sugar

½ c packed light brown sugar

¾ c pecan pieces, toasted and chopped fine (optional)

2 tbsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

Directions:

For the dough:

1. Whisk the milk, water, 3 tbsp of the butter, and honey together in a large liquid measuring cup. Mix 3½ cups of the flour, the yeast and the salt together in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

2. Increase the mixer speed to med-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (If after 5 minutes the dough still looks really sticky, add the remaining ¼ cup of flour, 1 tbl at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but still sticks to the bottom).

3. Turn the dough onto a clean counter and knead by hand to more a smooth, round ball (about 1 minute). Place the dough in a lightly oiled (vegetable or canola) bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours. 

Trick: If your house is cold or drafty, my favorite thing to do is place the dough in the oven with only the oven light turned on, that works wonders!

For the monkey bread:

1. Lightly grease a large tube or bundt pan with butter. Combine the butter and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Toss the sugars, nuts, cinnamon and salt together in a separate bowl, then spread out over a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, divide it into 36 even pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, rough into a tight ball. Roll the balls in the butter mixture, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat and arrange evenly in the prepared pan. Drizzle any remaining butter and sugar mixture over the top. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Bake the monkey break until golden, 40 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use an offset spatula or knife to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan. Flip out onto a serving platter, but be very careful because that caramel is HOT. Let it cool slightly before serving.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

This is an Oliver approved recipe; my boy simply can not get enough of this stuff. If he knows it's in the house, he refuses to eat anything else. I tend to triple the recipe, then bake it in those smaller foil loaf pans they sell at the grocery store (just decrease the time in the oven by about 15 minutes, and check on them more frequently) and freeze them.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes + cooling (if you can wait)
Makes: 1 x 9" loaf

Ingredients:

2 c flour

¾ c sugar

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 very ripe bananas (the browner the better! It means the natural sugars have released and they'll be sweater)

6 tbl butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¼ c plain yogurt (I've substituted sour cream frequently and it's just as good)

1 tsp vanilla

1¼ cup toasted walnut pieces (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease (hello Pam) a 9” x 5” loaf pan.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mash the bananas and mix with melted butter, eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the nuts (if using). Don’t over mix, it's supposed to look thick and chunky.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a wire rack.

Chevapi and Crostini

This is an absolute favourite of Bo's, being that he's Croatian/Serbian it's basically a staple. There's a little butcher shop about a 45 minute drive from here that you can get them at, but they aren't hard at all to make, it just comes down to how lazy I'm feeling, lol.

Chevapi

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb (or ground pork if you can't find lamb)
1 egg
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbl Vegeta (a Serbian jarred spice mix, optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your grill (if using)

2. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix with your hands until well combined.

3. Roll into rectangular mini sausages, 3" long and 3/4" in wide.

4. Place all of the chevapi in a single layer in a disposable foil baking pan and place onto your preheated grill on med-high heat. You can also cook these on a griddle, or in a large frying pan in a couple of batches (try to cook them all at once though, because it takes a bit of time). Turn the chevapi about every 7 or 8 minutes, once that side is well browned and has a slight crust. Be careful not to over cook though.

Note: These are fantastic on there own, but equally good dipped into ketchup or tzatziki sauce. Bo likes to load a bunch into a bun sometimes too for a sand which of sorts.

Make Ahead: After you've formed the chevapi you and just wrap them as a batch in plastic wrap, then put them in a zip-lock bag and freeze them for later. I like to do this on a weekend, make a huge batch of them then just pop them out of the freezer whenever we want!

Crostini

This is the easiest way to make brilliant little toasts to accompany a dinner

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bakes Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:

1 baguette or Parisian loaf
olive oil
Fleur de sel (or sea salt)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice your baguette into 3/8" think (1cm) slices and place on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet

3. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt.

4. Bake for 10 minutes and removing from the baking sheet immediately.

Buffalo Chicken Bites, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Garlic Toast, and Garlic Butter

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Ok, so Bo felt like something tossed in my chicken wing sauce, but not chicken wings. He didn't know what he felt like, so I went with chicken bites, nice and easy to make. And they were delicious! They were even delicious the next day warmed under the broiler (though completely different tasting, not as spicy, like a warm spice).

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 (so long as you have something else on the side)

Ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut unto bite (or two-bite) size pieces

1/3 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups Italian style bread crumbs (or regular breadcrumbs with some Italian seasoning mixed in)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup butter

1 cup hot sauce (we use and love Franks Red Hot, I highly recommend it)

Directions:

1. Take 3 zip-lock bags. Put the flour, salt and pepper in the first, the eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs in the third.

2. Toss the chicken cubes in the flour mixture until well covered, then put the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and move around until all the pieces are wet on all sides. For the bread crumbs, toss about 6 pieces at a time, and make sure that you let any excess egg drip off before moving them to that last bag (you don't want to gum up the breadcrumbs). Place the chicken pieces onto a plate, because you're ready to fry.

3. Now, I have one of those ridiculously unhealthy but FANTASTIC counter top deep fryers. Bo and I love chicken wings, especially in the winter in front of the TV while we watch a hockey game. I thought it was common for people to have deep fryers, until our cousin Jenny looked at it with pure disgust. So, I get it, you make not have a deep fryer. So, put a couple of inches of oil (I use peanut for deep frying) in a pot (a cast iron one retains the heat best, think Le Creuset or Kitchen Aid who makes a good imitation) and heat it to between 350 and 375 degrees. Drop your chicken in, and fry until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes

4. While the chicken is cooking, it's time for the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and then whisk in the hot sauce. That's it, we're done.

5. Toss the cooked chicken in the hot sauce and enjoy!

NOTE: When I do a breading like this I usually double bread them because it will give you a ridiculous crunch, this time though it was late and I just didn't have the time. If you'd like to, at this point cover the chicken pieces with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (you can do this for a couple of hours if you want to do most of the prep ahead of time). Then, you repeat the egg and breadcrumb dip, then continue with frying.

   

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

 

I love macaroni and cheese. It's that comfort food for me like no other (those of you for whom soup is your comfort food, I feel for you). I saw this recipe on Cooks Country TV (by America's Test Kitchen). Now, I have a serious hard on for America's Test Kitchen, I have never made a recipe by them that I didn't love, and that didn't turn out exactly as they said it would (and I've got over a hundred of their magazines and almost every cook book they've put out). That said, baked macaroni and cheese is my thing, I immediately saw some tweaks that would make this even better, but I will say that their white sauce base kicked my base's ass. Anyway, here's "our" recipe for baked macaroni...you will love...trust!

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

4 slices white sandwich bread , torn into large pieces

11 tablespoons unsalted butter , 6 tablespoons melted

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbl + 2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon dry mustard

3 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni to boiling water and cook until just al dente, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup macaroni cooking water, then drain and rinse macaroni in colander under cold running water. Set aside.

3. White the macaroni is cooking pulse bread in a food processor until ground to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and Parmesan and pulse again to combine. Pour breadcrumb mixture into a small frying pan and toast the crumbs until golden brown, stirring almost constantly.

4. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in the now-empty pasta pot over medium-high heat until foaming. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard, pepper and 2 teaspoons salt and cook until mixture begins to simmer and is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water until cheese melts. Stir in macaroni until completely coated.

5. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and top evenly with entire bread crumb mixture. Bake until cheese is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD: Cooks Country TV has directions for making this ahead of time. I can't speak for how well this works because I haven't tried it, but here is their directions in case any of you want to give it a go. If you do shoot me a line and let me know how it goes so I can let others know.

The macaroni and cheese can be made in advance through step 3; since the pasta continues to absorb moisture, adjustments must be made to avoid a dry filling. To do so, increase amount of reserved pasta cooking water to 1 cup. Pour filling into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, lay plastic wrap directly on surface of pasta, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. The bread crumb mixture may be refrigerated in airtight container up to 2 days (Don't toast the breadcrumbs first though, that's something that I added to get a better crunch from them). When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, cover macaroni mixture with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle bread crumbs over top, and bake until topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Garlic Toast

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time: 5 minutes

Here's just a quick run down for my garlic toast, which is SO easy to make, and so fantastic to eat!

Ingredients:

Calabrese bread (it's got a nice dense crumb that holds the topping well)

Garlic butter (store bought, or recipe below)

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Slice the bread into 3/4" thick pieces and spread one side with the garlic butter mix (I usually cheat here and buy it at the grocery store, but it's so easy to make too!)

2. Top with a light sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, and for this I actually prefer the store bought pre-grated stuff (like Kraft) to the real thing. Go figure.

3. Place on the middle rack of your oven and broil for about 5 minutes, until the top is a little crunchy feeling and starting to turn golden brown. Watch this carefully though, as it can go from golden to burnt very quickly.

Garlic Butter

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together

Notes: This butter is also fantastic on steaks, melted to dip seafood in, and mixed into mashed potatoes. It also stores well in your fridge. Simply roll into a log using plastic wrap and refrigerate, cutting off what you need (example, cut 1/4" rounds and place atop a steak straight off the grill).