Tempting Tuesday : Brunch Biscuits

Hi poodles!

Those of you that know me IRL (in real life) know that I love to cook! I love to try out new recipes, and one day I aspire to be as good a cook as my Mom. That woman can flat get down in the kitchen! Since cooking and all things food hold a place near and dear to my heart, I've decided to share some of my favorite recipes with you all!

The good news: these are tried and true favorites in my family. You know they're safe. So, try them out, see what you think, and leave comments on each Tuesdays posts once you've tried them out. (and if you have constructive criticism or things you've experimented with, that's too stinkin' bad, I'm always right. let me know...I love new ideas!)

With that...

Welcome to the first installment of

Tempting Tuesdays!!



I'll wait a moment while you compose yourselves...it is rather exciting, after all!

This week's temptation is "Brunch Biscuits!" They came to me with the name "Southwestern Sausage Drop Biscuits" but that's just more than a mouthful. I made some changes to the original recipe, and with that, changed the name. These little lovlies are very filling, very yummy, and *shhhh* very easy! They would be perfect with eggs at a brunch...hence, the name! Enjoy!

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Brunch Biscuits
(makes approx. 24 small biscuits)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. : "Hot"/"Zesty" Sausage
• 1 c. : green onion, chopped
• 3 c. : all-purpose biscuit baking mix
• 1 c. : milk
• 1¼ c. (5 oz.) : shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ¼ t. : paprika
• 1 c. : tomatoes (diced & seeded)
• cayenne pepper to taste
• butter (optional)*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Crumble and cook sausage in medium skillet until browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add milk to dry ingredients and stir until dough is formed. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time until evenly combined.

Shape dough into 2" balls; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot, with butter. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat as needed.


Helpful Hints:

• I've used "Bob Evans' Zesty Hot Sausage" as well as "Jimmy Dean's Hot Sausage." Both are great options. I've tried this recipe with regular "mild" sausage as well, and it's just sort of bland. Don't be afraid of the "hot" options...the finished product is by no means spicy. (Unless you want it to be!)
• In my opinion, the cayenne pepper is the secret ingredient in these! I'm a little wary of the stuff, myself...but the second time around I used a teaspoon of it to start with and they were much better. Obviously, with 3 cups of baking mix they could get bland quickly if you aren't a little heavy-handed with the seasonings.
• It is best to leave the tomatoes out until you've mixed in everything else. They have a tendency to get squished up if you add them first and then work the dough around with all of the other ingredients.
• These are UH-MAZE-ING right out of the oven with butter. They are equally yummy (if not better!) the next day, warmed up.

*is butter ever "optional?" I submit that it is not! :)




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Listening to: Big Daddy Weave - Every Time I Breathe