Kara's Sights & Bites: Never forget Red Lobster gave us Cheddar Bay Biscuits

By Kara Kimbrough 

     It’s always a sad day when a longtime restaurant closes, especially one that gave us a genuinely good menu item that became part of American culture. Such was the case with seafood chain Red Lobster. It’s now-famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits were placed on the table prior to every meal for decades. They were so good that copycat recipes began popping up everywhere. A frozen facsimile and dry mix, neither of which met my high biscuit standards, soon followed.

    Despite the closure of its Jackson location a few years ago and most recently, restaurant in D’Iberville and Hattiesburg, the recipe for the famous biscuits is still around and even better, has been perfected to the point that in some cases, better biscuits than the ones made famous by Red Lobster can be baked at home.

   I was happy to find a copycat recipe for Bennigan’s famous Monte Crisco Sandwich as well as it’s club sandwich. Bennigan’s was one of my top go-to restaurants when I moved to Jackson in the 1980’s. Its location on Interstate 55 N. was a convenient place to meet friends and enjoy a meal. A creative of habit, I usually selected one of the two sandwiches.

   Today, cookbooks and online sites contain a large selection of copycat restaurant recipes, including several from TGI Friday’s, another favorite Jackson restaurant that closed years ago. There’s still a Gulfport location, but since it’s not convenient to drop by often, I was happy to locate copycat recipes for the chain’s burgers, pasta and loaded potato skins. Email me if you’d like any of these recipes or others from your favorite restaurant.

   Here are two favorite copycat recipes that I can attest are as good (or better) as the menu item served at its namesake restaurant. Try this recipe for Red Loster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits and you’ll agree it’s better than the restaurant’s version. Thankfully, Cracker Barrel is still found throughout the state, but this recipe for their famous chicken and dumplings will tide you over until you’re able to visit.

Better Than the Restaurant’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

For the topping:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.

     In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Topping:

Whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the biscuits with butter mixture.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

2 cups, plus 1 tablespoon. all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

     In a large pot, combine broth, water, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover pot. Simmer until chicken is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer chicken breasts to a plate. Let cool.

     While chicken cooks, make dumplings. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add shortening, using fingers to work shortening into flour until it is in tiny pieces. Pour buttermilk into flour-shortening mixture and stir until a crumbly dough forms. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 15 times, until a ball forms.

     Using a rolling pin, roll dough until it is ¼” thick, then cut into roughly 2” squares. Dust surface of cut dumplings lightly with remaining 1 tablespoon flour.

     After removing chicken from pot, increase heat to high and bring broth to a boil. Add dumplings one at a time, and let boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat so liquid simmers and partially cover pot, leaving a small crack open on one side. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are tender and cooked through and broth is thickened to gravy consistency, about 20 minutes. Shred cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. When dumplings are cooked, stir chicken into pot and cook until chicken is heated through, about 1 minute more. Season with more salt, if desired, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve.

Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at [email protected].