January 12, 2015

Cheddar-bacon biscuits

A couple of months ago, I was seeing twice-baked potatoes everywhere.  After seeing it in yet another magazine one day, I decided to make a couple for dinner.  You could get very creative with the filling but knowing my family, I made classic bacon-cheddar ones with scallions, and those potatoes turned out to be a big hit!  So I've been making twice-baked potatoes with some regularity recently.  When your little one makes a request for something you cook, you can't help but want to comply.
Easy breakfast (or anytime) biscuits with cheddar, bacon, and scallions baked in a muffin tin 
I really shouldn't have been so surprised those potatoes were such a hit.  The little guy loves bacon; if you ask him, everything really is better with bacon (particularly, pancakes and eggs).  Because of that, I usually have some center cut bacon in the fridge or freezer and a few crispy slices often find their way onto our weekend breakfast table.  It always makes me think about my own earlier obsession with bacon-egg sandwiches.  In more recent years, I've switched over to ham but I'm getting reacquainted with bacon again. 
So it was the somewhat-surprising hit of those bacon and cheddar twice-baked potatoes that had me making these biscuits.  I figured it was a safe bet that the fellas would enjoy the same flavors in biscuit form and sure enough, I was right!

To me, just hearing "biscuits" makes me think something delicious is coming my way. And, well, if you like cheddar cheese and bacon, you know the salty, sharp flavor these biscuits promise to provide.  To the mix, I added some sliced scallions.  I think cheddar and bacon just begs for something in the onion family to balance it out.  I used mild scallions/green onions but whether it be chives, leeks, shallots, or regular onions, I enjoy that combination.  Even the little guy enjoys his biscuits (and twice-baked potatoes) with scallions in the mix.
I've really been getting familiar with the simple recipes in my Sweet Paul book.  These biscuits are another adaptation of a recipe I saw in the book.  I turned his morning biscuits with cheddar, dill and pumpkin seeds into this rather more mundane, but still very delicious, cheddar-bacon-scallion rendition.  Once you cook the bacon and shred the cheese, the dough is simple to put together.  I like baking these biscuits in a muffin tin...you get nice crusty, cheesy edges all round.
These biscuits are a nice treat to make for Sunday morning breakfast.  That's what I did, serving them with some easy-over eggs.  Instead of morning biscuits, these would be equally great alongside a bowl of soup or chili, or with a crisp salad.  

I snuck a little whole wheat flour into my batch of biscuits, subbing 1/4 of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour.  As far as whole wheat flours go, I have white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, and spelt on hand and I like to use them where I can. With the cheese and bacon, no one will notice any difference!

Recipe:

Cheddar-Bacon Biscuits
Adapted from this recipe from Eat & Make by Paul Lowe

- For 10 biscuits - 

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or substitute with all-purpose)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
8 slices center-cut bacon, cooked until done but still chewy, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with a rack set in the middle position.  Butter 10 cups of a standard muffin tin.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour(s), baking powder, and salt.  Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter (or two butter knives) until you have a grainy mixture, with small and some larger lumps of butter visible in the mix.  

Add most of the cheese (reserving a small handful for topping), bacon, and the milk. Mix together with a rubber spatula.  The dough will be wet.  Spoon the dough into the 10 prepared muffin cups.  Top each with a bit of the reserved cheese.  Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack before serving.






44 comments:

  1. I love that you're "getting reacquainted with bacon again." This is the perfect way to do so! And would be way more satisfying than the yogurt I'm eating right now!

    Sues

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    1. We never really lost contact for long so it didn't take much to reacquaint ourselves. haha

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  2. I think the crispy sides from the muffin tin makes these irresistible! All my favorite things in one hand-held muffin - what a great classic combination! They are so very pretty too. Good thing you're not my mom or I would really get into these "special requests". This recipe is a keeper! Hope the weather gets better - where's our snow?

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    1. I totally agree on the crispy sides from using the muffin tin! I really liked that effect! Thanks, Tricia...and please, no snow! I've had enough from the last few winters to last a lifetime!

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  3. Irresistible bacon biscuits. They look so tempting. I love the combination. Very easy to follow recipe. I will give them a try soon.

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  4. Biscuits really are my downfall. Especially with cheese and bacon!

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  5. I love good cheddar cheese (I never had it until I came to the US) and these biscuits sound SO good! I'd love to eat these with eggs and sausages just like how you served. What a great Sunday breakfast!

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    1. That's exactly the perfect combo for Sunday breakfast! haha : )

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  6. These biscuits look like the perfect treat for a weekend breakfast! Love the cheddar and bacon combo and adding the scallions along with the whole wheat flour was such a great idea too! Your fellas are so lucky to wake up to this on a Sunday morning :)

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    1. I love weekend breakfasts and we make the most of it! So nice, no matter what we eat!

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  7. I absolutely love that you added the scallions! You're totally right - bacon, cheddar and scallions are just so perfect together! These look delicious!

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    1. The scallions, though mild, totally make a difference. Thanks, Ashley!

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  8. I need them RIGHT NOW. Cheddar and bacon...this is a killer combination, Monica.

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    1. haha - can't go wrong with cheddar and bacon if you're a meat eater. : )

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  9. These have my name written all over them!

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  10. I've never eaten twice baked potatoes before but something tells me I'm going to love them! Also, these have got to be the tastiest biscuits around! I don't eat Bacon but I know for a fact that Cheddar and Scallions make for such a perfect combination! Need to make these stat! <3

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    1. It's just a baked potato where you scoop out the fluffy insides, mix it with some other filling (my case, cheddar, bacon & scallions) and place it back into the potatoe shells and warm up in the oven. : )

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  11. What a great combination! We seem to be eating a lot of bacon at the moment too (as the kids like it) so for me this is a great after-school-pre-dinner-savoury-snack for everyone. Thanks for sharing Monica!

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    1. The little guy loves his bacon. We do have it more these days. These biscuits are easier than those twice baked potatoes! : )

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  12. These biscuits look amazing! I think I want to make them to make breakfast sandwiches out of, is that too crazy? :)

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  13. These biscuits look absolutely delicious!

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    1. Too delicious, with the cheesy crust and fluffy innards. Note to self: better not make too often. ; )

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  14. Oooh I'm such a bacon girl, and when paired with cheddar cheese, I'm so in. These biscuits sound and looks amazing - I could totally devour a few of these.

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    1. Bacon and cheddar is such a classic for a reason! : )

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  15. These would be so great for a lunchbox as well as a weekend brunch! :D

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  16. These biscuits look delicious, I love the combination of cheese, bacon and chive...I like the idea of using muffin cups.
    Hope you are enjoying your week Monica :)

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  17. I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't like bacon! These biscuits look like a meal in one! I need some more grab and go breakfast ideas and I think I would be quite happy to eat one of these every morning :)

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  18. This is brilliant! Bacon and cheese...even saying those things make me happy. The scallions are a great addition too! I am going to make these soon..the twins are going to LOVE them!

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    1. My little one certainly had no complaints. I also tried freezing a couple and reheating in a 300 degree oven and that worked well.

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  19. Damn delicious to starting a day!!!
    glad even more had this for my brunch snacking.....

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  20. I recently had some amazing cheddar bacon biscuits in a restaurant. They were super good! I said at then that I have to make some myself. Now, I have a recipe! Thanks, Monica. Will try this out in a week or two! Bryan will go crazy for these.

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    1. These are super easy and they basically taste the way you would expect...I mean, cheddar and bacon, right! Hope you try it.

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  21. Yum! IT's true; bacon makes everything taste better. It makes the world go round for us bacon-lovers, hehe (: I think scallions is a great addition as well! What a yummy recipe!

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    1. Great for a brunch crowd or to hoard for yourself. Bacon is indeed very good... : )

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  22. I have 3 kids of my own and am always looking for novel ideas to pack for breakfast / snacks in school. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It's something I need to try NOW.

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    1. Hi Jen! 3 kids is no joke and I'm sure you could use some easy recipes like this one. : ) I only have one and with my husband, I already feel like we are constantly cooking/eating...guess that's not a bad thing. ; )

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