Cheddar And Green Onion Biscuits

I’m Southern, and we Southerners love our biscuits. Between breakfast and supper, we always have a biscuit, a slice of bread, or a slice of cornbread on our plate. A Southern plate isn’t finished unless one of the three, in any form, makes its debut on the plate.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing like a good ol’ plain biscuit topped with butter and some sort of jam or jelly. Sometimes you just want additions to the bread that is the center attraction on your dinner table. These biscuits are simple, easy, and wonderful. They are perfect with some jalapeño jelly or drowned in brown gravy. The perfect carb for your plate.

Let’s make some biscuits.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 C. All-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. Baking powder
1/4 Tsp. Baking soda
1/2 Tsp. Sugar (optional, not required)
1/4 C. Crisco, lard, or butter ( room temp or cold; it doesn’t matter)
1 1/4 C. Cheddar cheese – Shredded
1 /2 C. Green onion – sliced
3/4 to 1 C. Cold ButterMilk
3 Tbsp. Melted Butter – for brushing on top. You can also use heavy cream.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425*. Butter or grease a cast iron skillet or line a sheet tray with parchment. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and give a good stir or whisk.
3. Add the crisco, lard, or butter and crumble into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. There should be a mix of larger bits of lard and smaller bits of lard. Don’t mix until everything looks like sand. It is overcombined at this point, and the biscuits won’t rise well. The larger bits will melt down and create the most beautiful fluffy texture, while the smaller bits will help with the rise of the biscuit. If it looks like kinetic sand, it’s overmixed.
4. Add the cheddar cheese and the green onion and gently toss together until they are all coated in the flour mixture.
5. Slowly pour in the buttermilk while mixing with your other hand. Add just enough of the buttermilk so there are no more dry bits on the bottom of the bowl. You want the dough to be sticky, not dry. We want them fluffy, not dry. So once the batter is just mixed together and there are no dry bits on the bottom, you can flour your countertop. Turn the dough out from the bowl onto the counter.
6. Flour the top of the dough as well as your hands. Gently pat the dough out flat about 1 inch thick. Turn the dough over onto itself and pat out again to about 1 inch thick. Do this 3 more times. This creates a fluffy and layered biscuit.
7. After the last time layering the dough, pat the dough out to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or, as some do, a cup, press the cutter straight down and pull straight up. DO NOT turn the cutter, as this will seal the edges of the biscuits and they will not rise at all. They will be flat and crunchy. We want them light and fluffy, so do not turn the cutter.
8. When you press out all the biscuits, place them onto the prepared pan. Repeat step 6 until all the dough is used up. When it comes to that last biscuit, it will not be able to be cut, so just gently press and shape it into a biscuit shape and place it in the pan too. It won’t look pretty, but it sure will taste good.
9. Brush the top of the biscuits lightly with either the melted butter or a bit of cream. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may have to put them under the broiler to get a nice golden color on top. If this is the case, it should only take about 2 minutes to get a nice color on them. Keep a close eye on them, as they will burn rather quickly under the broiler. R
10. Remove them from the broiler, if used, and brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining melted butter.
11. Remove them from the pan so they do not continue to cook on the bottom, and place them in a bowl lined with a lint-free towel. Once you have them in the bowl, cover them with the ends of the towel so they stay warm. Serve and enjoy!

NOTES:

• These biscuits are so good with some butter and Jalapeno jelly. The slight spiciness of the jalapeno jelly pairs so well with the slightly sweet taste of the biscuits. If you do not like jalapeno jelly, you don’t have to use it. You can top them however you like. They are also so good topped with brown gravy.
• If you do not like green onion, you can simply leave it out. They will be just as delicious.
• If you do not have buttermilk, you can use milk. They will be a bit more firm on the edges, but they will be just as good. I love buttermilk biscuits, so I tend to use buttermilk, but I also make biscuits with milk too. It just depends on what I have on hand.
• I find sharp cheddar cheese has more of a bolder flavor, but any cheddar cheese will work just fine.
• They will keep for about 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container.
• If you want to freeze these, then make the batter, cut them out, and place on a lined sheet tray and freeze until solid. Remove from the tray and place in a freezer-safe bag. These will last about 6 months in the freezer. This works with any style of biscuit, even plain biscuits.