NO Clue as to What’s for Dinner and NO Interest in Cooking?
While I know canned biscuits are never as good as homemade, let’s talk about ‘em anyway. They can be a pretty good answer to the “What’s for dinner?” question, especially when you have no clue, and no interest in cooking up a meal.
The simple fact is, shortcuts in a busy world makes life easier, and in the case of kitchen shortcuts, more delicious, too. So here’s what I’m talking about—look at all the things you can do with a can of refrigerated biscuits:
BISCUITS AND GRAVY CASSEROLE. All you need is gravy, cheese, eggs, and your can of biscuits. You can even prep this dish the night before. Make your favorite sausage and gravy recipe then arrange biscuits in a well-greased 9x13 baking dish. Mix eggs (at least 6) with some grated cheese (2 cups is nice), milk (about ½ cup) and salt and pepper to taste. Pour this over the biscuits, top with the gravy and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I first saw this idea on www.thepioneerwoman.com and we’ve used this as a weeknight dinner ever since, especially in the winter.
MONKEY BREAD. You all know about this treat. There are recipes galore for it on the Internet, and you probably have your favorite. Talk about a quick and tasty dessert!
CHILI TOPPER. When I’m in a screaming hurry to get dinner on, I’ll just open a couple cans of chili, pour them into a casserole dish, stir in a couple cups of grated cheese, diced bell pepper, and some sliced green onions. Then I top the whole think with my canned biscuits. I bake it at 350 degrees for about 15 or so minutes (until the biscuits are golden brown). This is hearty and satisfying.
PIGS IN BLANKETS. Who hasn’t wrapped their hotdogs in biscuits? I’d lay the wrapped dogs in a greased casserole dish, sprinkle the goods with grated cheese and bake until the biscuits were done. This fast and fun meal was a favorite with our kiddos when they were little.
CHICKEN POT PIE TOPPER. Canned biscuits also make a great topping for chicken pot pie filling, and can even be shaped into balls and fried for make-shift donut holes. Just cover them in lots of sugar and cinnamon and nosh away.
I’ll close with a recipe from www.simplyhappyfoodie.com. This is a southwest egg bake that cooks in the Instant Pot. It’s clever, easy (15 minutes make, 15 minutes to bake), and scrumptious! While up front it’s perfect for a breakfast, we like it for dinner too. We pair it with a salad and we’re happy. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Instant Pot Southwest Egg Bake
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons chives (fresh or dried), chopped
1/2 cup salsa
1 tablespoon canned green chilies or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
3 buttermilk refrigerator biscuits (3 individual biscuits, not 3 cans)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped bacon or crumbled sausage (optional)
Directions:
1. In medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
2. Add chives, salsa, green chiles, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
3. Generously spray a 6 cup bundt pan*. Tear the biscuits into 4 pieces each and arrange on the bottom and a little way up the sides, if you can. Spread them out.
4. Pour in half of the egg mixture.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs/biscuits.
6. Pour in the remaining egg mixture and jiggle the pan a bit to get the mixture to settle in. Don't stir it!
7. Spray a piece of foil and loosely cover the bundt pan. Just crimp it very lightly around the edges.
8. Put 1.5 cups of water into the inner liner of the pressure cooker and the trivet/rack.
9. Use a sling to put the bundt pan into the pot. Leave sling in there with it and close the lid, locking it in place.
10. Turn the Steam Release knob to the Sealing position (not on the Ultra model). Select the Steam setting (High) and use the + or - to choose 15 minutes.
11. When the cooking cycle ends, just let the pot sit undisturbed and go into Natural Release / Warm mode. The counter will begin counting up. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
12. Manually release any remaining pressure by turning the Steam Release knob to Venting (on the Ultra, push the button).
13. Carefully gather up the ends of the sling and lift the pan from the pot to a cooling rack.
14. Take off the foil and test for doneness. If it is very jiggly, set it back in and give it another 4 minutes cook time.
15. Serve, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and top with salsa.
NOTES: *Spray the 6 cup bundt pan generously immediately before assembling so the spray doesn't have time to run down the sides and pool at the bottom.
2. Add chives, salsa, green chiles, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
3. Generously spray a 6 cup bundt pan*. Tear the biscuits into 4 pieces each and arrange on the bottom and a little way up the sides, if you can. Spread them out.
4. Pour in half of the egg mixture.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs/biscuits.
6. Pour in the remaining egg mixture and jiggle the pan a bit to get the mixture to settle in. Don't stir it!
7. Spray a piece of foil and loosely cover the bundt pan. Just crimp it very lightly around the edges.
8. Put 1.5 cups of water into the inner liner of the pressure cooker and the trivet/rack.
9. Use a sling to put the bundt pan into the pot. Leave sling in there with it and close the lid, locking it in place.
10. Turn the Steam Release knob to the Sealing position (not on the Ultra model). Select the Steam setting (High) and use the + or - to choose 15 minutes.
11. When the cooking cycle ends, just let the pot sit undisturbed and go into Natural Release / Warm mode. The counter will begin counting up. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
12. Manually release any remaining pressure by turning the Steam Release knob to Venting (on the Ultra, push the button).
13. Carefully gather up the ends of the sling and lift the pan from the pot to a cooling rack.
14. Take off the foil and test for doneness. If it is very jiggly, set it back in and give it another 4 minutes cook time.
15. Serve, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and top with salsa.
NOTES: *Spray the 6 cup bundt pan generously immediately before assembling so the spray doesn't have time to run down the sides and pool at the bottom.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com