GARLICY CHEDDAR CHEESE DROP BISCUITS

OK, if you have ever dined at a Red Lobster restaurant, then you have probably made as big a pig of yourself as I have when a basket of their cheesy garlicky biscuits is set in front of you. If you haven’t gone crazy like me, then frankly, I don’t think we can be friends! Because anyone who doesn’t think these are the best biscuits, they ever tasted, is way beyond me culinarily. In fact, as my daughter Paula would say – these biscuits are simply life-changing!

On our way home from a family reunion in Oregon a couple days ago, we stopped at the Red Lobster in Kelso, Washington for a quick lunch. I was hungry for a Crab or Shrimp Louie. And what better place to find a Louie than at a restaurant specializing in seafood? Well, as it turned out, I would have had the same luck if we had stopped at McDonald’s. Not a Louie to be had. But I’m telling you the truth, the cheese biscuits saved the day for me.

So, of course, when I got home, I decided that I had to learn how to make these biscuits. So, the recipe you find below is what I came up with after reading 436 copy-cat recipes I found online. (Apparently, I am not the first person to decide these biscuits just must be a part of their life!)

If you too think cheddar garlic biscuits are the be all and end all, then let me recommend you give this recipe a try. Besides being beyond delicious, they are very easy to prepare. You don’t even have to roll out the dough. Or get out your mixer. Just plop blobs of the dough on a baking sheet, throw it in the oven, and wait the interminable 14 or so minutes until the biscuits can be removed from the oven, slathered with more garlic butter, and devoured before any of the rest of your family is even aware that you have been in the kitchen!

There are just those times when being able to produce an edible that is really amazingly delicious is the greatest feeling in the world. And when the said item is as easy to build as one of these biscuits, I get super/supper excited to be able to share the recipe with you.

So, next time a biscuit would be the perfect addition to a meal, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, give this recipe a try. You and your family are in for a treat. That is, if you deem it necessary to share with your family. If not, they will never know what they missed, and I’m sure as heck not going to tell them! This can remain our little secret.

So, regardless of whether your little shoulder angel or devil wins, I wish peace and love to all.

For the biscuits:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed  

1 T. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp. granulated garlic

1 packed c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

½ c. (1 stick) melted unsalted butter

1 c. buttermilk or whole milk (or a combination)

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and granulated garlic together in a large bowl. Stir in cheese.

Combine melted butter and buttermilk until small lumps form. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Don’t over mix.

Using a #16 ice cream scoop (¼ cup) or two soup spoons, drop quarter cup balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Meanwhile make the topping.

Remove from oven and slather the hot biscuits with the topping.

For the savory garlic topping:

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. granulated garlic

Whisk together just before biscuits come out of the oven.

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