Cheesy Drop Biscuits + Cider Variation

I've been on the hunt for a biscuit recipe that would be similar to Red Lobster biscuits. Have you had them? I mean, I haven't been to that restaurant in many years . . . but I still remember those amazing biscuits. They're far too salty. But the texture? Yeah, that's what I wanted to find.

Then I tried this recipe from Food & Wine.

Success!

Over time, I've tweaked it to meet my tastes and what we usually have in the pantry. I've added shredded cheese and even experimented with adding different flavors, as you'll see below. This biscuit recipe is a real winner and comes together fast.

CHEESY DROP BISCUITS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 6 tablespoons Earth Balance or salted butter -- cold! 
• 3/4 cup soy, almond, or cow's milk*
• 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

* I've used the same amount of water and even APPLE CIDER for extra flair. When I used the cider, I also used a special maple cheddar in place of regular cheddar cheese. The biscuits were so delicious -- sweet and savory.

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spritz a baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, Parmesan, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Drop the tablespoons of butter into the dry ingredients and then mix with your hands until mixture is crumbly.
4. Add in the shredded cheese and pour in the milk. Mix until just combined (doesn't need to be uniform).
5. Drop dough in 1/4 cup amounts onto your baking sheet.
6. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden.

ENJOY!

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Kabocha + Cider Mac and Cheese

Our family loved this meal so much, I’m making it for dinner yet again tonight. This was my first time cooking with kabocha squash. I picked up one several weeks ago and it had just been taunting me on the kitchen shelf. The flavor pairs wonderfully with the sweet apple cider.

Yes. That’s apple cider in mac and cheese. I got the idea because we were nearly out of almond milk. And you know what? It was really delicious. Something new and admittedly a little crazy. Like my purple hair, I suppose. As I note below, you can also skip this somewhat strange addition and use all milk or a standard mac and cheese experience, veggie-fied.

Never tried kabocha squash? The best I can describe is that the taste and texture remind me of sweet potato.

KABOCHA + CIDER MAC AND CHEESE

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 package noodles*
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup kabocha squash puree**
• 2/3 cup almond milk, milk, or other substitute
• 1/3 cup apple cider***
• 1 to 2 tablespoons flour
• 8 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and monteray jack)
• Pinch salt, pepper, and paprika
• Bread crumbs

* I used these quinoa elbows from Ancient Harvest.
** You’ll need to roast your kabocha squash, scoop out the flesh, and then puree it with a bit of water. Or sub canned pumpkin or other squash puree to your liking.
*** Not adventurous? It’s OK. You can use all milk. The apple cider tastes really fun, though!

Method . . .

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch baking dish and set aside.
• Cook your noodles to the package’s directions for al dente. You want them done but not mushy.
• While they are draining, melt your Earth Balance (or butter, etc.) in your cooking pot. Then whisk in some flour and cook for a minute or so. Whisk in your milk and apple cider until uniform. Then add the puree.
• Once that’s all smooth, start to whisk in the cheese. Keep stirring over low to medium heat until fully blended. Season with the salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
• Fold in the noodles with a spatula. Then pour into your baking pan and top with bread crumbs.
• Bake for 30 minutes -- uncovered -- until golden brown.
• Serve with sriracha!

Enjoy!

// RELATED RECIPES

Curried Mac + Cheese with Delicata Squash
Spinach Mac + Cheese
Pumpkin Mac + Cheese

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Simple Pleasures, no. 1

A poppy seed bagel sliced + lightly toasted.
Topped with thick slices of mild cheddar cheese.
Broiled to browned perfection.
A tall mug of warmed apple cider.

A fall favorite for sure, though I could eat this meal every day. When I get enough time, I even like to make my own bagels and supplement with Pumpkin Hot Cocoa or Maple-Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa.

What's your favorite fall breakfast?

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New Traditions

A new Black Friday tradition in our house: Apple Cider Pancakes. I whisked up a batch yesterday morning, adding in apple cider because we were low on almond milk. Almond extract because we're low on vanilla.

They're incredible -- spiced perfectly for the season and sweeter than usual pancakes, which is why we're reserving them for special occasions. My favorite part is how browned they get. And how fluffy they are thanks to a heaping tablespoonful of baking powder.

Yum.

APPLE CIDER PANCAKES

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon golden flax meal 
• Generous pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 1/2 cup almond milk 
• 1 cup apple cider 
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Method . . . 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and flax meal.
2. Then add in the almond milk, cider, oil, and almond extract. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
3. In a frying pan, heat some Earth Balance (or butter) over medium heat and -- once sizzling -- scoop batter in heaping 1/4 cupfuls. 
4. Cook on both sides until browned (they will brown more than "normal" pancakes due to the sugars in the cider). 

NOTE: Recipe makes enough pancakes for 4 generous servings. If you are only making for 2, you might consider making half the batter.


Now I'm off to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the three of us. Our holiday in Pennsylvania was fun, but I sure was jealous of all the tasty vegetarian feasts I saw streaming in on Instagram.


Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend! Any recipes stand out in your own cooking for the holiday?

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15-Minute Applesauce

I feel like I'm subconsciously preparing for Baby A's arrival by learning how to cook all my favorites as quickly as possible. Each fall, I look forward to making homemade, slow cooker applesauce. I spent a good amount of time peeling and chopping apples, then toss everything in the crock pot and let it stew all day. Pretty easy.

Problem is -- it takes at least 3 to 4 hours.

Then a friend mentioned that applesauce can easily be made on the stove-top in more like 15 minutes. The aroma may not fill the house all day, but THAT'S FAST! And since one of my goals is to freeze a ton of applesauce for the winter . . . I need speed.

15-MINUTE APPLESAUCE

What you'll need . . .

• A bag of apples (3-1/2 to 4 lbs)
• 1/2 cup cider or other juice (I used orange juice!)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Method . . .

• Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss them into a large stock pot.
• Pour cider and sprinkle spices onto apples. Then cook over medium-high heat until you reach a strong simmer -- let stay at this heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. (Note: You can get creative with your spices. Add whatever you like!)
• Lower heat, cover, and let cook for another 10 minutes. Again, return to the pot to stir on occasion.
• Then use a masher to mash apples for a nice, thick and chunky sauce. Or use a food processor for a smoother applesauce.

If you want to make in bulk and store your applesauce, simple clean out some quart canning jars, pour in applesauce until it reaches an inch (or maybe two inches) below the top of the jar. Let cool completely before putting on the lid. Then freeze for up to 6 months!

Baby-post followers: Don't miss my post all about 34 weeks on (never home)maker, baby! It was a rough week, but not all bad.

And don't forget that we've added 80+ recipes to The Recipe Archives, all organized by category.


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Ashley's Cooking Again: Stuffed Peppers

Stephen was my househusband this summer while he was off from teaching. So, it's been a while since I've cooked dinner for the two of us. Since I've prepared a meal. OK. In reality, it's even more basic than that:

It's been a while since I've chopped vegetables . . .

Roasted peppers . . .


Splashed in secret (well, not-so secret) ingredients . . .


I'M-COOKING-AGAIN STUFFED PEPPERS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 large green peppers, sliced in half and de-seeded
• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, skinned and chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 very small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed well
• Black pepper -- to taste
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Method . . .

1. Set your oven to broil. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place your green pepper halves on it -- cut side down. Broil for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on tops and softened.
2. In a large pan over medium-high heat, toss in your olive oil and sweet potato chunks. Cook for a few minutes and then stir in the apple cider, black pepper, garlic, and onions. Cover and lower heat just a bit -- 5 minutes. You want them to get slightly blackened on the bottoms.
3. Add more oil to the pan if it's dry, but then add black beans. Cook for another 5 (or so) minutes until everything is softened. Test the sweet potatoes especially.
4. Your green peppers should be cooled by now, flip them over so the cut side is up. Then fill each with a generous scoop of the sweet potato mixture. Top with cheddar cheese if you wish. Then place in oven -- which should still be on broil -- and cook until cheese is brown and bubbly.
5. Let cool to warm before serving. I've burned the roof of my mouth before stuffing these down my throat.

We've made many different types of stuffed peppers before, but this recipe was -- for whatever reason -- the most satisfying and filling. We even used onions (the tiny ones in the photo above) from our own garden. Score!

NOTE #1: If you don't have apple cider, water would work as a good substitute. The sugars in the cider, though, help blacken and flavor everything. I love hiding cider in all my fall foods. If you haven't checked out the Hidden Cider Cookies yet, I recommend you do!

NOTE #2: Top peppers with hot, hot, hot sauce for best results.

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Hidden Cider Cookies

As the title gives away: These cookies have apple cider in them. How exciting is that? The flavor doesn't come through like crazy, but the extra sugars/juice makes the texture i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e. Soft and light with a slightly crisp exterior, if that makes any sense. Not that cookies need to be understood or logical in any way.

Other ingredients: Chocolate and peanut butter. Of course.

HIDDEN CIDER COOKIES

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 egg of dry egg replacer
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cream together the Earth Balance, cocoa powder, and sugar. Add the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Beat well until incredibly fluffy. Five minutes.
3. Add the apple cider next and mix just as well.
4. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Scoop heaping tablespoons onto the cookie sheet. If you want the cookies to be pretty, you may want to flatten them. I just let them bake as is, hence the sloppy look.
6. Bake for between 12-15 minutes. Until lightly browned on edges (with a chocolate cookie, it's hard to tell -- but you'll start smelling them).
7. Let cool completely before eating for best results.
8. Store in your fridge. If they last that long.

After the past week we've had, I'm happy to be back cooking and baking again. And speaking of weeks . . . I'm nearly 30 weeks pregnant! Check out what's going on with that on (never home)maker, baby!


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