Monday, November 9, 2015

District 10: Bacon Cheddar Biscuits.

(Want to start with District 1?)

District 10's primary industry is livestock.  Their bread is the last of the twelve districts' that Suzanne Collins doesn't describe in the books, so this was my final chance to exercise complete artistic license over the bread pick.  So I went with this tasty bacon cheddar biscuit, since it requires byproducts from three different animals--pig (bacon), chicken (egg), and cow (milk, cheese, and butter).

District 10: Bacon Cheddar Biscuits.

I made several changes to this recipe.

You'll need:

  • 1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


First, fry half a pound of bacon:


I cut the slices in half to fit in the skillet better, and fry them in batches.


The crispier they are, the easier they will be to crumble once they've cooled; once fried, remove them from the skillet and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up excess grease:


While the bacon cools, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl:


Once mixed, add the butter:


If you're fancy enough to own a pastry cutter, that'll come in handy right about now to cut the butter into the flour mixture.  If you're cheap like me, just slice it into pieces with your spoon and keep hacking the chunks smaller and smaller as you mix them into the flour:


In a separate bowl, combine the milk, oil, and egg:


Whisk well to mix:


Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble it into small pieces:


Add the milk mixture, bacon bits, and shredded cheddar to the flour mixture:


Stir thoroughly to combine:


Preheat your oven to 375*F.  Spoon the batter into a greased muffin tin:


(I wasn't sure how much they would rise, so I filled most of the cups about 2/3 of the way, and three all the way.  They didn't rise much at all, and I didn't think either size was really "better" in the end.)

Bake for 20-22 minutes:


Remove when "golden", and edges have browned a bit:


Let cool on a wire rack:


Thinking back, you know what would have made them even tastier?  Brushing them with melted butter while they cool.  Because butter, even more so than bacon, makes everything better.  (Maybe you can try that and let me know how it goes. ;-) )


Serve warm!


And for your cut-and-paste convenience:

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

  • 1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add softened butter and cut to mix in.
  2. In separate bowl, combine milk, oil, and egg; whisk well to mix.
  3. Add milk mixture, crumbled bacon, and cheddar to the flour mixture.  Mix thoroughly.
  4. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin.
  5. Bake at 375*F for 20-22 minutes, until golden.

Easter Eggs

As always, I've hidden an Easter egg in the main photo.  Find it yet?

District 10: Bacon Cheddar Biscuits. (Can you find the Easter egg?)

Did you spot the one from the photo last time, or did I leave you feeling a little...lost? ;-)  Here's the reveal:

District 9: Easter egg reveal.

4. 8. 15. 16. 23. 42.  If you watched "Lost" for any length of time, you should recognize those ubiquitous numbers, which are written on six corn kernels in the photo. :-)

Let me know in the comments if you recognize the Easter egg in the photo this time, or if you make some District 10 biscuits of your own!  May the odds be ever in your favor! :-)

(Ready for District 11?)

2 comments:

  1. I've been loving these posts! I'll be sad when the series is over.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! :-) Me, too...I'm not sure I can go back to posting non-nerdy recipes after this! Guess I'll just have to find ways to make normal food geeky somehow! Which sounds challenging but fun.... ;-)

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