nyminutenow easy cheddar biscuits_01My little brother and I have been making homemade biscuits since he was five (he’s now 11!), and every time he and Mom are in town, we cook and bake up a storm! This Fourth of July weekend alone, we’ve made pancakes from scratch, brownies, and these AMAZING, melt-in-your-mouth, super easy cheddar biscuits inspired by Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits (bro loves ’em).

Our go-to recipe has always been Ina Garten/The Barefoot Contessa’s Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits. It’s a pretty straightforward recipe, a classic to have in one’s repertoire. It’s also versatile enough to turn into scones and a flaky, buttery—albeit crumbly—apple pie or turnover crust.

Little bro’s Google search yielded this copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit recipe from Damndelicious.net, copy-and-pasted below along with my edits and notes added. Here’s what I love about it:

– No kneading required. You scoop the batter right onto the sheet pan.
– It calls for melted butter to be mixed in, versus cold butter to be blended in until it turns into pea-sized pieces. Saves a lot of time.
– Egg-free. Now, I love eggs, and the only reason I’m mentioning this is in relation to ease of prep, and, in a pinch, if there are no eggs in the fridge, you can still make amazing biscuits!
– Incredibly quick and easy to make! Hence, the title.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1 cup buttermilk (we make our own with about a teaspoon of lemon juice and milk)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    (Note: Next time I make this, I plan on using two tablespoons less and use that for the topping.)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    (See note above. Two tablespoons would suffice.)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.
  3. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese.
  4. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown. (We used an ice cream scoop.)
  5. For the topping, whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture. Serve immediately.

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