Red Lobster-Inspired Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe!

My sibling family loves Red Lobster. It's our guilty pleasure when we want to get together for each others' birthdays (I'm one of 7 siblings, and here it is National Sibling Day!). It's an easy place to grab a big table, preferably tucked in a corner away from serious diners, where we can enjoy an hour or so of silly conversation, distorted memories (!), inappropriate birthday cards whenever possible, and gift-opening. There are some restaurants where you can do that easily, but none better that RL. The restaurant holds a sentimental meaning for all of us, as well, since our Mom loved to go there for our birthdays and "just because."

We always look forward to RL's Cheddar Bay Biscuits. They are served warm from the oven, tender, and so flavorful. I looked online for a copycat recipe, but most I found used a biscuit mix as the base. For our quiet Easter dinner at my daughter Katie's last week, I wanted to make them from scratch, so I adapted Alton Brown's biscuit recipe and added my own version of a hot butter and herb glazing at the end. The result - nailed it! They went so well with Katie's Easter ham and Bill's scalloped potatoes! I also made a birthday cake for my daughter Tricia - she requested retro with a strawberry cake mix with rainbow chip frosting (home-made version of rainbow chip, of course!). I made it just as she requested, and she loved it! But back to biscuits...

Here's a photo of the DEEE-licious copycat biscuits followed by the how-to:

My take on Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuit! 

COPYCAT RED LOBSTER CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Spray cookie sheet with vegetable spray
Makes 12+

In large mixing bowl, stir together:
2 c. all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Cut in to flour mixture:
 (with 2 knives or a pastry blender - or pulse in a food processor!)
4 tablespoons shortening (or 2 butter/2 shortening) until the size of small peas

Stir in:
1 cup cold buttermilk (no buttermilk? Make your own: add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a 1-cup measure and fill with milk, wait 5 minutes)

Stir in: 
1 cup very finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Stir until all the dry ingredients are well combined. Using an ice cream scoop or something that will give you about 2 good, full tablespoons (even a real spoon!), drop dough onto cookie sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are puffed up and browning on all the little edges and nooks.

Take out of oven and immediately brush with this mixture:

2 ounces (half a stick) of butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley (I didn't have any, left it out)

Let them cool a bit, and then place hot biscuits in a towel-lined serving bowl.

Now, go on and enjoy these like my siblings and I do! (as well as the rest of the family!)

Circa 1961, Saratoga Springs, NY
L-R: Anne, Danny, Ginny, Jeannie (Me), Steven, Patsy, & Michael

Love my six terrific siblings (including that one odd ball!)! And God Bless our mother, Virginia McGeehan O'Farrell. We miss her terribly. Seven children in 10 years. She surely is a saint!