Cheddar Biscuits and Steak-Marinated Chicken

My family doesn't know how lucky they are. It hasn't quite hit them yet that they only have two more weeks of homecooked meals before I retreat to Birmingham for another year of college and they break out the bagged salad and take-out menus.

I have been attempting to re-create the sweet, cheesy biscuits at Jim & Nick's BBQ in Birmingham for several months, and although these are different in size and texture, they are delicious, and I might even prefer them over the biscuits at Jim & Nick's. (Heresy? Perhaps.) These were definitely a winner. I ate two within thirty minutes of their exit from the oven, and sliced one in half to toast as sandwich bread later that night. This recipe is definitely a winner.

The marinade I used on this chicken is somewhat of a show-stopper. I habitually use it as a steak marinade for steak salads-- the marinade that drips off the steak and into the greens makes an excellent, healthier dressing alternative. I promise that it is just as delicious on chicken.

I served the cheddar biscuits and steak-marinated chicken with some Mexican corn. In order to cut the butter used and add some spice, I added the juice of one half of a lime, 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, and 1 tablespoon of butter to the cooked corn and served it immediately.

Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ cup whole milk

shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Directions

1. Mix dry ingredients well, and slowly add in milk. Mix until dough is sticky and well-combined.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a cookie tray. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the cookie sheet. (I got five large or eight smallish biscuits.)
3. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of dough. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Steak-Marinaded Chicken

Ingredients

2 raw chicken breasts

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tablespoons garlic

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon chipotle seasoning

Directions

1. Trim raw chicken breasts of any fat and membranes. Cut deep slits roughly ¼ inch apart all along the chicken breasts.
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large Ziploc bag and add the chicken breasts. Marinade the chicken for at least two hours.
3. Preheat a pan over medium heat for several minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and slightly brown each side of the chicken in the pan, roughly one minute per side.
4. Remove the pan from the eye and reduce the heat. Pour remaining marinade over the chicken and return the pan to the eye when the eye has cooled to low heat. Cover chicken and allow to cook over low heat for eight to ten minutes.
5. Flip chicken and allow the other side to cook over low heat for eight to ten minutes. Check to make sure that the chicken is fully cooked. Serve immediately.

Happy summer eating, y'all. 

--Alyssa