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These Eastern NC Cheese Biscuits are a beloved breakfast staple that’ll keep you satisfied all day long. Traditional cheesy filling in a fluffy southern-style biscuit doesn’t get any better than this, y’all!
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Pin ItEastern NC Hoop Cheese Biscuits
Biscuits, y’all, you know them and love them. Today’s recipe is a southern twist on biscuits – well, an even MORE southern twist!!
Eastern NC Hoop Cheese Biscuits are your favorite little mealtime staple, but with perfectly gooey, mild, and savory hoop cheese in the middle. You’ll almost feel devilish biting into these biscuits, they taste TOO good in a way, but that’s what happens when you combine two of the best ingredients in the world! (That is to say, southern-style biscuits and cheese!)
Hoop Cheese Biscuits are popular in the Southern United States, particularly in North Carolina – and especially in Eastern North Carolina. You may be able to find them at Southern-style restaurants or at bakeries and cafes that specialize in Southern cuisine. You may also be able to find them at farmers’ markets or local grocery stores, particularly in areas with a strong Southern heritage.
The good news is, if you are having trouble finding Hoop Cheese Biscuits at a local market or store, you can easily make them at home with this recipe!
Although most often served at breakfast, you can serve these North Carolina Biscuits at any time of the day and for any reason. They pair well with most meals! You’re sure to love ‘em!!
Cheese Biscuits Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
For this Eastern NC Hoop Cheese Biscuits recipe, you will need …
Ingredients
- shredded hoop cheese – hoop cheese is a traditional southern USA treat! It’s made from cow’s milk and has a mild, slightly salty flavor, so it’s very family-friendly, even if your loved ones have never had it.
- all-purpose flour – most baked goods, biscuits included, start with flour. Every variety of flour provides a different texture to your food, and all-purpose is the best for this recipe in particular.
- baking powder and baking soda – these provide your biscuits with an “airy” texture.
- salt, sugar – not only add, well, saltiness/sweetness to your final product but bring out the other flavors in any recipe! Never skip the salt and sugar, y’all. They’re important!
- butter – baked goods often require a “fat” like butter. You’ll also use the butter on top of your biscuits when they’re done cooking.
- buttermilk – provides a tangy flavor to your biscuits and acts as the liquid necessary in any bread recipe!
How to make Cheese Biscuits
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease or spray a 9-inch cake pan and set it aside.
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Make the cheese balls. Take 1/3 cup of the cheese and squeeze and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining cheese. (You should get six balls of cheese.)
Prepare the biscuit dough. Place 2-1/2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the four tablespoons of butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the buttermilk just until combined.
Portion out the dough. You should get six balls of dough and place them on a clean, floured work surface.
Make the cheese biscuits. Wrap one piece of dough around one cheese ball. Seal and place seam-side down in the prepared pan. Brush with butter.
Bake. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Cool, then remove the biscuits from the pan. Allow the biscuits to cool in the pan for a few minutes before inverting them onto a plate. Break the biscuits apart and turn them right-side up and then brush the tops with the remaining butter before serving.
North Carolina Cheese Biscuits: FAQs
About 6 biscuits!
The prep time takes about 20 minutes, and the cooking time is the same. All in all, you can have these gorgeously savory treats in under an hour!
Hoop cheese has a short shelf life on top of being very “regional,” which is why you might not see it if you live outside of the southern US. Here are a few good alternatives you can try out!!
– Farmer’s cheese: This is a type of pressed cottage cheese, just like hoop cheese. The two share a similar texture, that is, firm, creamy, and perfect for spreading, like into biscuits! Yum!!
– Cheddar: Especially when it’s freshly grated, cheddar is another strong choice! It’s gooey once you melt it, and it’s sharp and tangy, which tastes perfect paired with good old southern-style biscuits.
It’s up to you! The fresh version is milder, while aged hoop cheese is sharper and is closer to a mild cheddar.
Yes, you can freeze Hoop Cheese Biscuits. To freeze them, place the cooled biscuits in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the biscuits to a resealable freezer bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat the biscuits, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are heated through. You can also microwave individual biscuits for 30-60 seconds or until they are heated through.
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Eastern NC Cheese Biscuits
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Hoop cheese, shredded (8 oz. of freshly grated Cheddar can be used if you can’t find Hoop cheese)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, cold
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease or spray a 9-inch cake pan and set it aside.
- Take 1/3 cup of the cheese and squeeze and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining cheese. (You should get six balls of cheese.)
- Place 2-1/2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the four tablespoons of butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the buttermilk just until combined.
- Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of flour on a clean work surface. Using a measuring cup sprayed with cooking spray, measure out 1/2 cup of the dough and place it on the floured area. Continue portioning out all of the dough. You should get six balls of dough.
- With floured hands, flatten one piece of the dough on the baking sheet into a 3-1/2 inch circle. Carefully pick up the dough round and place one ball of cheese in the center. Gently pull the edges over the cheese, and pinch together the seams. Place the dough ball in the prepared cake pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese, placing five biscuits around the outside with one in the center. Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Allow the biscuits to cool in the pan for five minutes before inverting them onto a plate. Break the biscuits apart and turn them right-side up. Brush the tops with the remaining one tablespoon of butter before serving.
Notes
- These biscuits are best the day they are made.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I live in Eastern NC, but did not know they were regoin-specific. I will these soon – nothing better than a good cheese biscuit!
“Region” – oops! Please correct for me.