Years ago I came across this recipe, so long ago, I’m not sure where it came from. This makes enough to cover a 13 x 9 inch casserole or to make a topping for 6 individual Pot Pies, like my “Chicken Pot Pie you WISH your Grandma Made!” They also make some of the best drop or rolled or patted out biscuits you’ll ever taste! Can I say superb? Yep, I just did!
Chicken Pot Pie like you Wish your Grandma made! Tender, flaky crust, gorgeous vegetables and a gravy out of this world!
These biscuits are formulated to be a fantastic topping, but sometimes I cheat when I want a biscuit – they’re that good. With any biscuit, the ingredients are important, but the technique will make it or break it. Handle gently and minimally and you’ll be rewarded.
Buttermilk Biscuits for Topping Casseroles
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter, quartered lengthwise then cut into small pieces, about 1/4 inch.
- 3/4 cup of buttermilk, plus possibly another tablespoon or two.
Measure dry ingredients. Add butter and toss, then pinch between fingers, breaking down, but leaving many, many small “smashed” pieces of butter in flour. Add the 3/4 cup of buttermilk, tossing with a fork.
If it seems to dry, add the rest, a tablespoon at a time. It should be slightly moist but not wet, and hold together if a small amount is squeezed between your fingertips.
Turn on to lightly floured counter and pat into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick, pressing the dough together. If desired, roll over the top with a rolling pin to smooth.
Using a two and a half-inch biscuit cutter or similar sized jar, stamp out (pushing straight down and not wiggling) 8 rounds. If making individual ramekins, use the top of the ramekin as a guide, cutting slightly smaller.
May be covered and held at room temperature for up to two hours.
Bake as casserole directs, generally 30 minutes for a large pan and 20 to 25 minutes for individual ones.
Notes: In a pinch, cake flour may be omitted for the plain flour, although biscuits will not be quite as tender. Regular milk may be used – a tablespoon of vinegar should be substituted for a tablespoon of milk. (Simply add vinegar to the measuring cup and then pour in the appropriate amount of milk to make 3/4 of a cup.)
Although these biscuits taste fantastic, they are not really as high rising as some, and are formulated to work perfectly with casseroles.
Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:
- Use a coupon matching site! One of my favorites in my area is Pocket Your Dollars, but every store has a group of enthusiastic Coupon Matchers. Do not discount the savings! I check their site every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.
- Follow my 12 Strategies – You’ll see them on the upper drop down menu of every page and how I apply them, below.
- Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.
- Read below for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving time and managing food.
Strategies Applied:
Biscuits are so easy to mix by hand, and I think taste so much better, that I hardly ever pull out my food processor. By the time I’ve washed it, I’ve already erased any time savings!
- Flour: Look for flour to be on sale around any holiday. To avoid any pest problems, freeze flour (or flour containing products) for three days. Cost 20 cents.
- Cake Flour: To tell you the truth, I almost always use regular flour, so I’ve included it in the pricing above. The mixture is an attempt to substitute for a Southern flour like Lilly.
- Butter: I always buy butter on the deep sales, usually $2.50 a pound or so, generally around holidays, and toss in my freezer. It keeps, literally for months with no deterioration in quality. Cost: 62 cents.
- Buttermilk: Seldom on sale, except perhaps around a holiday, and then it isn’t usually advertised. Buttermilk, if it doesn’t have a pour spout, can be poured into a clean jar and will last longer. Think of other recipes to make to use it up! It can be frozen in ice cube trays, but make sure you figure out how many ice cubes makes a measurement you can use in cooking! Usually about a cup fills an ice cube tray…doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do need an idea how many you’ll need to thaw for a recipe! Bought at $2.32 for 1/2 gallon, 23 cents.
- Other items: See Pantry Ingredients; bought on sale this is only a few cents at most.