Beer and Cheese Biscuits – Super cheesy biscuits are taken to a whole other level with the addition of beer. You’ll be shocked by how easy they are to make! Perfect for breakfast sandwiches or alongside your favorite dinner.
People always ask me: how do you decide on what you’re going to make? There are mainly two things that help me decide: (1) I see something on a blog or Facebook that I just have to make or (2) I’m craving something that I’ve had before and want to make it myself. Today’s recipe is courtesy of the former.
Last week, I saw a video on Food Network’s Facebook account that grabbed my attention. It was from Nancy Fuller (of the show Farmhouse Rules) and she was making Ale and Cheddar biscuits*. They looked so yummy! And more than that, they seemed so simple to make. I already had all the ingredients so it was just a matter of putting them all together and baking. Simple as that!
A couple notes about the recipe:
- Buttermilk is required for this recipe. I have a love/hate relationship with buttermilk. I love all the things I’ve made using buttermilk, but most recipes only call for a cup or less of it. Since most supermarkets don’t sell less than a quart of it, I end up wasting the leftovers. Not anymore! I read somewhere that a good way to save buttermilk is to freeze it into ice cubes. Whenever you need to use some, just pull out as many ice cubes as you need and thaw them. Then, voila! You have buttermilk!
- For the shredded cheddar cheese, I bought a block and shredded it myself. This was not to save money (even though I did!), but rather to preserve the flavor of the cheese. When you buy pre-shredded cheese, they use additives to keep the cheese from clumping together. I find that the cheese doesn’t taste exactly the same, nor does it melt the same, with these additives. So I liked shredding it myself, when I can.
- Lastly, you will obviously need some beer for this recipe. It calls for ale. I’ll be honest: I don’t know the difference between an ale or a lager or a pilsner; I just know light vs dark vs wheat. So I looked in the fridge to see what I had, which was Sweetwater 420. After looking it up, I found out that it is an extra pale ale. Ale! Hooray! Since it was an ale (of sorts) and my husband loves the beer, I went ahead and used it. I will say, it added a stronger flavor to the biscuits that I would have liked. Still so good, but next time I think I’ll use a milder ale. Probably a Newcastle.
Beer and Cheese Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons butter unsalted, cold
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup beer (light beers are best)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the butter and use a fork or pastry blender to work it into the flour mixture until it resembles small pebbles. I usually give up and end up using my hands. Much easier 🙂
- Add the cheddar and toss lightly. Add the buttermilk and beer and stir in with a wooden spoon just to combine. Don't over-mix! We want these light and fluffy.
- Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between biscuits.
- Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Nancy Fuller on Food Network
Look at those bubbles!! That’s the yeast of the beer mixing with the flour. That’s how we get the biscuits to rise. And rising means fluffy. And fluffy means delicious! |
I used an ice cream scoop to form the biscuits. This ensured two things: (1) all biscuits would be the same size (and thus, cook evenly) and (2) my hands stayed clean! |
Ginger says
How many biscuits does this make please & thank you
Peggy says
I will be stirring in some drained flaked crab meat and roasted garlic. When they come out of the oven I’ll brush them with garlic butter and serve with clam chowder!
Sharon Glascoe says
Thanks so much! Super simple to make too! Hope you enjoy them!
Karly says
Beer. Cheese. Biscuits. These are just 3 words that I honestly can't resist- put them all together and I'm 100% obsessed. These look soooo tasty!