The smell of warm biscuits straight from the oven makes me excited for dinner. These easy cheddar bay biscuits are pillows of flaky goodness. They are full of herbs and cheese with a hint of spice from the Old Bay Seasoning.
Old Bay Seasoning
If you are unfamiliar with the bright yellow container, let me introduce you to a wonderful new friend. It is an East coast wonder—think crab bakes and lobster boils—but useful for so much more than shellfish and beloved in the South as well. The spice blend is named after a passenger ship line that traveled the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1900’s. It’s made by McCormick and can be found in your grocery store spice aisle.
You can substitute Old Bay seasoning anytime you would use paprika. In fact, one of the 18 herbs and spices on the ingredient list is paprika, as well as black pepper, celery salt and crushed red pepper flakes for a hint of kick. There are so many great ways to use this seasoning in your kitchen. If this is your first introduction to Old Bay, it will definitely not be your last time to enjoy this seasoning.
Hints for Making Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits
The key for making biscuits is to be gentle and not overmix. You want to whisk the dry ingredients well. But after adding the liquid ingredients and the cheese, onions, and herbs, switch from a whisk to a spoon or rubber spatula. That way you can carefully stir the batter until the ingredients are just barely combined.
Since the flakiness in these biscuits come from the chemical reaction of buttermilk and baking powder, your baking powder has to actually work and not be too old. Test if your baking powder is still effective by adding a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to 1/4 cup of very hot water. If the baking powder doesn’t bubble vigorously, you should replace it.
And speaking about buttermilk, I always use real buttermilk in this recipe. I like the tanginess and mouth feel it gives to the biscuits, which is missing if you substitute curdled milk or the powdered stuff. So add buttermilk to the grocery list and remember you can freeze leftover buttermilk so it won’t go to waste.
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Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 biscuits 1x
- Category: Quick bread
- Method: Baked
Description
These easy cheddar bay biscuits are ready in less than 30 minutes and oozing with flavor. With a hint of spice, these biscuits will round out any meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion, both the green and white parts (2–3 green onions)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Finely chop green onions and mince fresh parsley.
- Add cheese, green onion and parsley to the dry ingredients.
- Melt butter and add to buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients.
- Gently mix ingredients until just combined being careful not to overmix.
- Using a medium scoop, portion the dough into the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake biscuits in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Let rest for five minutes on the baking sheet and serve warm.
Thanks for the tip about freezing leftover buttermilk!
These were so quick to make! They really did take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. And then they were absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe.