My 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
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
❤️