Buzz
On Wednesday, Portland was blanketed with ten inches of snow – a lot for a city where many don’t exactly excel at driving in snow. As a result, I’m hunkering down at home until the snow melts, and having a little fun with a ‘Chopped’ style game using the ingredients in my pantry and freezer. Hopefully, I’ll uncover some gems. I’ve already stumbled upon a box of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix, so things are looking pretty promising.
In case you haven’t tried this particular mix, let me assure you, it’s quite good and tastes very similar to the biscuits served at that popular seafood chain. (Though it’s been quite a while since I last visited a Red Lobster, the biscuits from the box are nearly identical to what I remember from the restaurant.)
One of the perks of cooking at home is that you can experiment with the format. I wasn’t in the mood to form individual biscuits, so I simply spread the dough into a loaf pan and baked it as usual, adding about 10 extra minutes to the baking time.
It came out beautifully, if you consider a massive, sliceable biscuit to be beautiful. (And I certainly do.) As a biscuit, it didn’t rise as much as a loaf of yeasted bread, but you could always double the recipe (and the baking time) to create a taller, sliceable biscuit. Personally, I find the thinner slices rather endearing.
Once cut, you can lay down a few slices and top them with a fried egg, or crisp them up in butter (then top with a fried egg). You could also add a thin layer of cold cream cheese, some ham slices, or whatever else you’d like on a cheesy, buttery biscuit plank. If you want a change in flavor, feel free to swap the cheddar for another cheese. I used Jarlsberg (since I was snowed in and out of cheddar), and it was sweet and nutty, but I’m excited to try it with aged gouda or Dubliner next.
Cheddar Bay Loaf
Ingredients:
1 box of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix
1/2 cup shredded cheese, such as sharp cheddar, gouda, or Dubliner
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup butter
Seasoning packet
Combine the cheese with the dry mix, then stir in the cold water until a dough forms. Press the mixture into a greased standard loaf pan and bake in a 350℉ oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Melt the butter in the microwave, mix the seasoning packet into the butter, then brush the butter over the loaf. Allow the loaf to cool until the pan is cool enough to touch, then run a butter knife around the edges before flipping the loaf onto a cutting board. Slice and serve.
