Biscuit Recipe: Cheese Biscuits Made with Bisquick

Bisquick! Do you love it, and swear it's the only way to make biscuits? Or, do you feel it's cheating to use a mix such as Bisquick? No matter which side of the fence you're on, you'll love this recipe for cheese biscuits, which uses Bisquick, milk, butter, cheese and spices.

The most common complaint home cooks have about making biscuits is that they turn out like hockey pucks ... heavy, dry, and tasteless. Not so with these cheese biscuits. The Bisquick mix provides the right amount of rise so that the biscuits come out light and fluffy. The milk provides moisture and the butter gives the biscuits an oh-so-flaky texture. The cheese gives flavor, while the spices give a little zip.

Some individuals look down their noses at biscuits because they aren't yeast breads. They think the only bread worthy of being served at the dinner table is homemade rolls. That couldn't be farther from the truth, and perhaps some people feel that way because they haven't encountered biscuits that are as light, fluffy, and delectable as these Bisquick cheese biscuits.

One of the secrets to fixing good biscuits is to be careful not to over-mix the batter. Most raised rolls require extensive kneading and rising time. These Bisquick biscuits, however, only require mixing until all ingredients are moistened. Over-mixing actually breaks the butter down into the batter, and that's one of the primary causes for those infamous hockey-puck-biscuits. In addition, since there's no rising, these cheese biscuits can be whipped up in no time at all ... often from start to finish in less than thirty minutes.

So, make a pot of soup or get an autumn stew going (here's a yummy recipe for Autumn Stew), and bake up a batch of cheese biscuits to go with it!

Bisquick Cheese Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 c. Bisquick
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 TBSP (1/2 stick) cold butter (I always use real butter ... substitute with margarine at your own risk.)
3/4 c. cold milk
1/4-1/2 c grated, sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.

2. In medium bowl, combine Bisquick and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Add butter. Use a pastry cutter or two knifes to break up butter until it's in pieces about the size of peas through out the flour. Do not over mix! You don't want the butter totally incorporated into the flour!

3. Add milk and cheese, and mix with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened and you have a sticky batter with small chunks of butter in it.

4. Scoop out by heaping tablespoon, gently pat dough to a round shape and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Makes approximately 1 dozen cheese biscuits.

5. Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until tops of biscuits are lightly browned. Do not cook until biscuits are totally browned as this will result in dry, hard biscuits.

While biscuits are baking combine:
2 TBSP butter, melted in small bowl in microwave
1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Stir butter mixture well. Brush tops of hot biscuits with it as soon as the cheese biscuits come out of the oven. Use all of the butter mixture.

Serve cheese biscuits with the Autumn Stew mentioned above, or with a hearty soup. And don't forget that any remaining biscuits ... that is, if there are any ... go great with ham and eggs for breakfast the next morning.

Sources:
Personal experience

Other food articles by this contributor:
BBQ & Grilling: Easy Marinade for Steak, Chicken, or Pork
"Dancing With the Stars" Snack Ideas