Cheesy Spinach Biscuits: Tips for Using Real Farmstead Cheese

Making great biscuits is simple. But making great biscuits with real farmstead cheese? That takes a little know-how. Let me share what I’ve learned about building flavor and texture into every bite. Here are my tips for making delicious cheesy spinach biscuits.

Choose Your Cheese Wisely

You need cheeses that melt well and add character. I use Royer Mountain, our award-winning alpine-style cheese, because it’s got a nutty flavor and melts smoothly. Four Leaf Clover, our cloth-bound cheddar, brings sharp tang and creaminess that fills every bite. If you want more intensity, swap in Pirate Blue for a bold, savory kick, or Moshannon for tangy richness.

The key is mixing textures. I finely grate the alpine cheese and coarsely grate the cheddar. Then I mix them and scatter most of it throughout the dough. This spreads flavor evenly. I save some to sprinkle on top so you get a crispy, cheesy crust.

Keep Everything Cold

Cheese and butter need to stay cold until the oven does its work. Grate your cold butter into the flour and toss it around—this keeps the butter in tiny pieces instead of one big lump. Freeze for 10 minutes after you mix. When those little butter pieces melt in the heat, they create pockets of steam that make your cheesy spinach biscuits rise and puff. Warm butter won’t give you that texture.

Using a Ready-Made Biscuit Mix

Short on time? Real farmstead cheese makes a boxed biscuit mix taste homemade. Use 5 cups of biscuit mix in place of the flour, baking powder, and salt. Skip the butter—it’s already in the mix. Add your cheese, the red pepper flakes, and spinach just like the scratch version. Mix your buttermilk and sour cream and stir everything together. Since biscuit mixes vary by brand, you might need slightly more or less liquid. Start with the package directions for liquid and adjust from there.

Squeeze Out Your Spinach

Frozen spinach holds water. If you don’t squeeze it dry, that water makes your dough wet and heavy. Really squeeze it. Pull it into shreds with your hands. Dry spinach means tender biscuits with real cheese flavor.

Don’t Overmix

Mix just until everything comes together. Overworking the dough makes tough biscuits instead of fluffy ones.

Cheesy Spinach Biscuits

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Golden, puffy biscuits bursting with melted farmstead cheese and spinach. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or anytime you want something special from your kitchen.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray or unsalted butter (for pan)

• 4 1/2 cups (563 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 Tablespoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons salt or 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter

• 5 ounces Royer Mountain, finely grated

• 5 ounces Four Leaf Clover, coarsely grated

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup sour cream (not low-fat)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 13×9″ baking pan or dish with nonstick spray.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to combine.
• Grate the butter into the dry ingredients using the large holes of a box grater, then lightly toss to coat. Freeze for 10 minutes.
• Scatter about three-quarters of the cheese over the flour mixture, then add crushed red pepper flakes.
• Squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as possible, pull it into shreds, and sprinkle it over the flour mixture.
• Whisk buttermilk and sour cream in a large measuring glass or small bowl.
• Pour into bowl with flour mixture and mix with a fork just until combined. Knead in bowl with your hands until a soft cohesive dough forms (do not overmix).
• Scrape dough into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Using a bench scraper or knife, deeply score into 12 portions (cut down almost to the pan beneath).
• Scatter the reserved cheese over the top.
• Bake biscuits until puffed and golden, 30–35 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Don’t have time for making the biscuit mix from scratch? You can use a pre-made biscuit mix. Replace the flour, butter, baking soda, and salt with 5 cups of ready-made biscuit or pancake mix. Then skip steps 2 and 3. You may need to adjust the dry/liquid ratio to match what’s on the package for the mix you are using.