Biscuit Bash

Quarantine has brought about the need for many changes in our lives. One of the major changes in households across the world is how we are feeding our families. Making it from one paycheck to the next, on a tight budget and with little wiggle room is how most families make it through the month. For the majority of families with school-aged children, their weekly grocery budget now has to sustain the hit of adding two more meals everyday for each child plus snacks. With many households not able to work due to mandated closures, the strain is made even worse. It's hard to not panic at a time like this, but take a deep breath and we will work this out together. I have gathered a few recipes that are easy to prepare and are really easy on the budget as well. Almost all of the item listed are available at the Dollar Tree, and because many item are meant for to be used multiple times (grated Parmesan cheese, flour, sugar and various spices), each will be even less costly.

Biscuit dough can be a life saver to the budget-minded among us. It is super simple to make and as you will see, with just a few added ingredients, only your imagination limits the meals and snacks that can be made starting with just a simple biscuit dough!

The biscuit recipe I use is an old standby for my family. I'd like to encourage you to keep blocks of butter frozen for this recipe and to put your milk in the freezer for about an hour before you start the preparation of this recipe.

Also, don't panic if you don't have milk. Anytime a recipe calls for milk that you don't have, substitute one cup of water and one and one-half teaspoons of butter instead. It works just as well and costs considerably less than milk. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 425 degrees and let's get started!

Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons VERY cold butter

3/4 cup milk VERY cold milk

1. Put all of your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well.

2. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredient mixture. If you don't have a pastry cutter, no worries! Grab a cheese grater and grate the butter into the dry ingredients. No cheese grater? Don't panic, hope is not lost! Roll up those sleeves and work the butter into the dry ingredients with your hands.

3. Add the milk, stirring just until combined. Don't be tempted to overwork it!

4. Flour a hard, flat surface and dump the dough right in the middle of it. Using your hands, work the flour slowly into your dough mixture until the dough holds together well and is no longer sticky.

5. Once your dough is cohesive, fold in half over itself and use your hands to gently flatten layers together. Turn your dough ninety degrees and fold in half again. Repeat five or six times, again be gentle and don't overwork the dough.

6. Use your hands (not a rolling pin) to flatten the dough to about one inch thick. Lightly dust a biscuit cutter with flour and press it straight down into the dough. Drop the cutout onto your baking sheet approximately one-half of a inch apart. Repeat this process until you've cut out as many biscuits as possible, rework the dough and cut as many as you can until you've used all the dough.

7. Bake at 425 degrees for twelve minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Brush them with butter when they come out of the oven and enjoy!

Now that we have a basic biscuit dough, let explore some recipes that will all start with the basic biscuit dough recipe. If you would rather, canned biscuits can be used, but if the goal is to save money, leave the canned biscuits at the grocery store!

Monkey Bread

Prepare the biscuit dough as instructed above, or use two cans of canned biscuits.

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional )

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter melted

Combine butter and brown sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Toss biscuits with cinnamon mixture.

2. Layer sugared biscuits and pecans in a greased bundt pan. Top with brown sugar topping.

3. Bake 35 minutes or until golden.

4. Invert onto a plate and serve warm with whipped cream.

Adding different kinds of nuts or stuffing each piece of biscuit dough with peanut butter, Nutella, or fruit will give you limitless possibilites!

Cinnamon Sweet Puffs

Cooking spray

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Prepared biscuit dough or 2 cans refrigerated biscuit dough

12 large marshmallows

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Separate biscuits. Place a marshmallow in the center of each biscuit and wrap biscuit dough around marshmallow. Press dough to seal marshmallow completely. Roll dough ball in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Arrange each dough ball in the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Separate biscuits. Place a marshmallow in the center of each biscuit and wrap biscuit dough around marshmallow. Press dough to seal marshmallow completely. Roll dough ball in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Arrange each dough ball in the prepared muffin cups.

Again, use your imagination and stuff these sweet treats with anything your heart desires!

Smores-Stuffed Waffles

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough

1 c. mini marshmallows

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (melt one cup for garnish)

1/2 c. crushed graham crackers

1. Heat waffle iron and spray with cooking spray.

2. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out biscuits flat.

3. Top one biscuit with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker crumbs.

4. Top with another flattened biscuit and seal the edges.

5. Place in waffle iron and cook until golden and fully cooked, about 4 minutes.

6. Garnish with more graham and marshmallows, drizzle with melted chocolate, and serve.

Cheesy Meat Bombs

Cooking spray, for pan

1 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. meat, whatever you have handy will work

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 c. shredded Cheddar

3 tbsp. finely chopped chives, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

Biscuit dough or 2 cans biscuits

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a large baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil.

3. Add meat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, drain cooked meat on paper towels then transfer to a large bowl.

5. Add cream cheese, cheddar, and 1 tablespoon chives. Season with freshly ground black pepper then mix until well combined.

6. On a cutting board, flatten a biscuit round into a thin flat circle (about ¼” thick).

7. Spoon about a tablespoon of the meat and cheese mixture into the center then wrap the dough around the mixture. Pinch to seal. Place seam side-down in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining biscuit rounds.

8. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter then sprinkle with garlic powder and remaining chives. Grind more pepper on top.

9. Bake until biscuits are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

To make this recipe even more cost effective, simply stuff with pepperoni and cheese and serve with pizza sauce. Another variation is to stuff with cubed cheese that you've frozen for about an hour, brush with butter and garlic and serve with tomato soup. Roll the biscuit dough into balls, dip in a butter, garlic and Parmesan mixture and bake for a super-cheap snack!

Chili Cheese Dog Cups

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough

Cooking spray, for pan

1 can chili

8 hot dogs, sliced

1 c. Cheddar cheese

1 egg, whisked

1/2 Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. chives, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease 2 muffin trays with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Carefully slice biscuits in half and press into the inside of the muffin cups.

3. Spoon heaping tablespoons of chili into the biscuit cups and top with 4-5 slices hot dog and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.

4. Brush overhanging biscuit dough with egg wash and bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Top with onion and chives and serve.

Use your imagination. Don't be afraid to try new things, or old things in a new way. We are in an era that demands frugality to survive.