Friday, January 9, 2015

Light and Airy Biscuits for a crowd

I"m back to volunteering at the Senior Center and in fact, I'm kinda in charge of the kitchen. 
We are striving to make healthy, tasty and good food for our people.  

Yesterday's menu was:
Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy and Applesauce
Rice
Cooked Carrots
Cabbage with Hog Jowls
Biscuits
Dessert

I do cook a little differently when I'm planning a meal for an unknown number of people.  I had thought we'd feed about 60 yesterday, but planned for about 90, and we ended up with just over 70.    Which meant that we had leftover Pork Chops, some leftover carrots as well as rice.   But that's OK, I have plans for them.

I did do something fun, I made some biscuits using a recipe I found on Facebook of all places, and when I googled the recipe elsewhere, all I could find were rave reviews on it.
So, I decided I'd make the biscuits.
I'm not brave, but sometimes I wonder about myself.
Not just making biscuits from a recipe I found online, but making it for a lot of people for the first time,

I guess I'm just a little nuts.
I usually don't use prepared mixes, but this recipe called for Bisquick mix, so I used it.   And it's a simple 4 ingredient recipe.   I did have to increase the amounts, cause, I was making them for a crowd.    Following is the family size recipe.   I think it would make about a dozen or so.

Recipe:
4 cups Bisquick + 1/2 cup mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7 UP
1/2 cup butter

Melt butter in a baking pan, set aside.
Cut the sour cream into the Bisquick mixture, using your hands and mix together gently.   Add the soda and mix until just combined.  This will be sticky.  Dump out of bowl onto counter with a half cup of mix.  Pat it out gently until the whole mass comes together.  Cut out rounds or just cut squares.  Place into the pan containing the melted butter and bake in a 400 deg. oven for about 12-15 minutes or until browned.   You can also drizzle a little butter on top if you like. 

Now, since I was feeding a bunch of people, I had to increase the total amount.   Here's my recipe.
3 1/4 boxes of Bisquick  (each box contains 8 cups)
3 pints Sour Cream
4-5 cups 7 UP
3/4 lb. Margarine + 1/4 lb. melted margarine.

I mixed the sour cream into the mix until it was just combined, then added the 7 UP and mixed it together, decided it was a little dry, so I added a little more soda.  Dumped it out onto a sheet pan with some more mix on it, and kneaded it just a little, just until it came together and I could pat it out and cut them into squares.   I ended up with just over 80 biscuits. 
Melt the butter and divide it between the baking sheets.  I used three pans, as well as a half sheet pan.    I melted an additional 1/4 lb, (1 stick) of margarine and drizzled it over the tops.  
They were baked at 400 degrees in a convection oven for about 12-15 minutes or until I decided they were done. 

And they were very good.  Light, airy and yet substantial. 











And now for the rest of the meal.


Carrots
 Cabbage  and there was a small pot of Collards as well, but the steam rising up from them, fogged the camera lens.
So, you'll just have to take my word for it.   It was there. 
 I made some semi-homemade applesauce to go with the pork chops.

And when I say semi-home made, I mean I peeled and cooked down some apples, sweetened them a little, and added them to some commercial applesauce.   There was also a little cinnamon added for taste, about a tablespoon or so. 
As you can see, the steam was rising and the shot isn't that good, but the chops were. 


I also didn't bother taking a picture of the rice, cause gee, you probably know what rice looks like.







And we had desserts as well.
It was all good.  

 And I was tired after it all.   But thanks to a great group of volunteers who helped cook, and best of all, clean up, we had a great meal.

And I don't know about them, but I had fun.

I get to do them again next week.  
So far the menu plan involves Baked Chicken, Seasoned Potatoes, Green Beans and dessert.    But it is also subject to change without notice.

I'll update you next week...   Just as soon as I rest up a little.   
Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love to hear from my readers, so please feel free to drop me a note, let me know if you like something I made, it makes my day.