Category: SAVORY BREADS & MUFFINS

These are moist, cheesy, flavorful and most importantly light and fluffy muffins that complement any chili, soup or stew!

CHEDDAR MUFFINS yields 18 regular sized muffins
3 strips bacon, chopped and cooked crisped
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 LARGE egg, room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup avocado oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 small bunch green onions, halved and sliced
2 sweet mini red peppers, FINELY chopped
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, DRAINED well
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and oil. Add in minced garlic.
• Add wet mixture to dry mixture JUST until moistened.
• Fold in cheddar cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes and bacon pieces.
• Fill greased or papered muffin cups 3/4 full.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake 15-18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins.
• Serve warm with FRESH butter.

BACON CHEDDAR CORNBREAD
6 slices thick bacon, diced, reserve a few pieces for garnish
1 small onion, FINELY diced
1 can white shoepeg kernel corn
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/4 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided, reserve a small amount for garnish
2 cups buttermilk
2 LARGE eggs

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Brown bacon pieces in a deep 10 inch cast iron pan until crisp.
• Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to paper toweling.
• Reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in a small bowl, leaving the 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
• Add onion and corn, cooking until tender for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove corn and onions from pan.
• Add reserved bacon dripping back to the skillet.
• Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
• Add 1 cup of the cheese.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and any remaining drippings.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
• Add buttermilk mixture to the well, stirring JUST until combined.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of the cornmeal in the skillet.
• Pour batter into skillet and top with bacon and remaining cheese.
• Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Garnish with a few bacon pieces.
• Serve with butter.

PARMESAN RANCH ROLLS
2 loaves (1 pound each), frozen bread dough, thawed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 envelope buttermilk ranch salad dressing mix
3 green onions, white portions only, minced

• Grease 2 9×9 baking dishes. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 18 portions.
• Roll each portion into a ball.
• Whisk together the melted butter and ranch dressing mix.
• Fold in grated cheese.
• Roll each ball in the butter cheese mixture and place 9 in each baking dish.
• Sprinkle with onions.
• Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm location for 45 minutes, until double in size.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

GOLDEN POPOVERS
4 LARGE eggs
1 1/2 cups WHOLE milk
3/4-1 teaspoon salt (I like a Himalayan sea salt)
A PINCH of FRESH ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

• Warm the eggs by placing them UN-CRACKED in a medium bowl and cover with hot water (as hot as your tap will go). Let them sit for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450°.
• Move one oven rack to a lowest position so tops don’t touch the shelf above as they grow.  Move the other oven rack up to the top and place a baking sheet on it to shield your popovers from the direct heating elements and prevent them from getting too dark.
• Grease the popover pan thoroughly inside each cup as well as around the top edges.
• With your whisk, beat together the eggs, milk and salt until they are combined. The yolks should be completely blended in.
• Add the flour and whisk until the mixture is frothy and all large lumps are gone.
• Quickly stir in the melted butter.
• Divide the batter between the prepared popover cups. They should be about 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake the popovers for 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 350°. Bake for another 10 or 15 minutes. The popovers will be very golden brown.
• Serve immediately and enjoy them warm!

NOTES:

• DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN until the end!

This recipe is adapted from the King Arthur recipe for Popovers.

TOMATO CHEDDAR DUMPLINGS
SAUCE
2 green onions, minced
1 SMALL stalk celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons WONDRA flour
2-15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

• Heat avocado oil in a large skillet.
• Add onion and celery, sauteing until soft.
• Add flour, stirring to combine.
• Add tomatoes and sugar, blending well.
• Season with salt and pepper, bring to a SLOW boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

DUMPLINGS
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons COLD butter, diced
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup milk

• Combine flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
• Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.
• Add cheese.
• Stir in milk until JUST moist.
• Drop by tablespoons into simmering tomato sauce.
• Cover and simmer, undisturbed, 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

These biscuits are SOOOOOOOO simple AND SOOOOOOOO flavorful too!

CHEDDAR BISCUITS yields 8 biscuits
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices medium cheddar, halved diagonally
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or use a silpat.
• Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Add 3/4 cup of the cheese with the flour mixture, tossing to coat the cheese.
• Add 1 1/4 cup of heavy cream, mixing well with a wooden spoon until dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto greased wax paper.
• Add remaining cream to bowl, collecting all the stray dry flour bits. Add to dough and knead together until smooth for 30 seconds. Form into an 8-inch circle.
• Cut into 8 wedges.
• Place wedges on baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 minutes.
• Add a slice of the medium cheddar to each wedge.
• Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese, rotate pan and return to oven for another 8 minutes.

NOTE:  These biscuits work with ANY flavor cheese you choose.  I often make them with Pepper jack or Gruyere and often add a small amount of green chilies or chopped olives when the flavor calls for it.