Cheese Chive Biscuits with Garlic Butter

These are the famous-restaurant-style cheddar biscuits you have probably encountered at a certain seafood chain, scaled down to a six-ingredient pantry recipe. The drop-biscuit shortcut means no rolling, no cutting, and no chilling the dough. Spoon the soft dough onto a baking sheet and let the oven do the work.

The Bisquick base is the speed advantage. The mix already has the leavening and fat blended in, so you only need milk to bring it together with shredded cheddar and chives. Beating the dough for 30 seconds (as the recipe specifies) is just enough to develop the gluten that holds the biscuits up without making them tough.

The garlic butter brush is the move that turns these from good to crave-worthy. Crushed garlic bloomed in melted butter creates a fragrant, savory wash that gets brushed on while the biscuits are still hot. The butter soaks into the surface and the garlic perfumes the whole top.

Use sharp cheddar, not mild. The bake time is short and you need cheese that announces itself.

Pro Tips

• Drop dough in irregular, craggy mounds rather than smoothed balls, the rough edges turn into golden, crispy bits.
• Use a light hand mixing the dough. Overworking turns biscuits dense and gummy, the 30-second beating in the recipe is the absolute maximum.
• Brush the garlic butter on while the biscuits are still on the baking sheet, before transferring. The residual heat helps the butter penetrate.
• Substitute fresh chopped chives for dried (use 3 tablespoons fresh) for a brighter, greener flavor.

Variations

• Swap cheddar for sharp white cheddar or a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella for an Italian-leaning biscuit.
• Add a half teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning to the garlic butter for a more aggressive seafood-restaurant copycat finish.
• Stir 2 strips of crumbled cooked bacon into the dough for bacon-cheddar biscuits.