Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits
Eric and I love cooking, but there are times neither of us has the energy to make something involved. Instead of turning to takeout or frozen pizza on those nights, we often turn to breakfast. I’ve never had a problem eating breakfast foods for dinner. We only do it once every few months, which is just frequently enough for me to get excited about it and not often enough for me to get sick of it. Though we won’t be making breakfast for dinner any more than we currently do, I imagine we’ll be making these biscuits for breakfast again soon.
There’s something special about buttery, rich homemade biscuits. It’s hard to be upset when you’re enjoying a homemade biscuit, especially when that biscuit is filled with bacon, cheddar and chives. These biscuits were my kitchen therapy for the day, and as their scent filled my kitchen, I could feel the stress of my day melting away. These fluffy biscuits aren’t just for breakfast; they’re perfect for any meal. I think they would make a wonderful side to a classic Sunday dinner, as well as a fantastic addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. I will admit to being a little wary of the garlic butter on top because I was afraid it would overpower the other flavors in the biscuits, but it added the perfect amount of garlicky goodness to these biscuits without the punch of fresh garlic. The only major change I made in this recipe was in method. I read recently (I think in a Cook’s Illustrated recipe) that one of the best ways to incorporate butter into dough is by freezing and then grating it on a box grater. This trick takes all the work out of cutting the butter and makes it easier to mix in without overworking the dough.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 10 biscuits
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2½ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 stick (½ cup) butter, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
⅔ cup buttermilk
4-6 pieces of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1
Heat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, salt and pepper. Grate the butter into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, gently and quickly rub the butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized pieces of flour form, being careful not to overwork the dough. Mix in the bacon, cheddar and chives.
- 2
Add the buttermilk and mix with a fork just until the dough comes together. Gently knead the dough in the bowl until it is no longer shaggy. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and continue kneading until a cohesive mass forms. Using your hands, flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut evenly into 10 biscuits.
- 3
Mix together the melted butter and garlic powder and lightly brush each biscuit with the mixture. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly golden around the edges. Serve immediately.
You really can’t go wrong with bacon and cheddar. Thanks for the tip on incorporating butter by freezing and grating it. That’s new to me, will need to try it/
well, these need to be on my table this weekend for sure.
Breakfast food for dinner is one of my favorite go to ideas. 😉 You just can’t go wrong. Great biscuit recipe.
Too funny! My post today is about being too tired to cook involved meals. I blogged about using things from my freezer. Breakfast is my other choice for super busy nights when I’m exhausted. These look delicious!
These sound wonderful! I love the way you can dress up plain biscuits and muffins in such fun and gourmet ways! Thanks, Chris
These look so tasty. I have never had a biscuit with bacon or chives. I’ve had plain biscuits, and I’ve had cheese biscuits. This sounds even better to mix it all up into one delicious item!
You had me at bacon! I’m the same way – breakfast is one of the few meals my kids always agree on and that they absolutely love! It makes it really easy to get a healthy and balanced meal into their bellies, so it’s a win-win.