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No Matter What Happens To Red Lobster, We'll Always Have These Biscuits

Jen Carlson

Published Dec 27, 2013

Modified Dec 27, 2013

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Jen Carlson

Published Dec 27, 2013

Modified Dec 27, 2013

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Recently it was announced that Darden Restaurants—the umbrella over chains like Olive Garden—is trying to sell off Red Lobster, or spin it off into its own company. Something something bottom lines.

Today Slate accurately points out that the problem with Red Lobster is that the food is just not good. While your Fat Cat Uncle may have put on his best polyester suit to take clients there decades ago, the place has lost its shiny veneer—it's just not that special to eat lobster at a chain restaurant anymore, especially when it's not quality, and it's overpriced. But what about those biscuits, eh?

The chain serves 395 million of their Cheddar Bay Biscuits every year! Because they are delicious, no matter what tax bracket you're in. And the recipe for them has been right in front of us all this time (you can even buy the mix on Amazon!). So no matter what happens to Red Lobster, we'll luckily, or tragically, always have the Cheddar Bay Biscuits. If you don't want to buy the Red Lobster mix (which just calls for the adding of cheese, water, and butter) below is the recipe courtesy of Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2:

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
¾ cup cold whole milk
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Brush the following on top: 2 tablespoons melted butter, ¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.
When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

And if you don't want to use Bisquick, here's an even more homemade version.

Tagged

biscuits

cheddar bay

recipe

red lobster

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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