After all the Christmas festivities have come to an end...
...one of my favorite holiday traditions is to have a lazy evening at home with the family. It’s our chance to unwind after all the parties and family obligations and enjoy each other’s company. Over a simple meal, we giggle and laugh as well as recount stories about the week’s events. Sometimes it’s Christmas evening; other years it is the day after Christmas … but it is always a night I enjoy.
For your family gathering, consider making a fun spin on a classic stuffed biscuit sandwich with your leftover holiday ham: pimento cheese biscuits stuffed with Christmas ham.
These cheesy biscuit sandwiches marry two favorite Southern staples: pimiento cheese and honey-baked ham.
For ease and less mess, this particular dough is best mixed in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. As with any biscuit dough, you want to make sure not to over mix the dough. Over mixing can make the biscuit tough. The dough is ready when it is just combined and moistened, which is just a minute or so in the mixer once the liquid ingredients are added.
The addition of shredded cheddar cheese and diced pimentos is what adds the pimento cheese touch to the biscuit. I recommend using sharp cheddar to get the most delicious cheesy flavor. Also, drain your pimentos well to remove any excess liquid.
Don’t feel like cutting out the biscuits? No worries. This recipe also works for drop biscuits. Just scoop about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dough, roll into a ball, lightly press to flatten, and bake as directed in the recipe.
For the finishing touch, drizzle the biscuit sandwiches with a little honey mustard.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Merry Christmas!
Pimento Cheese Biscuits with Honey-Baked Ham
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pea-size pieces
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 1 1/4 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped pimentos, drained
- 1/2 pound honey-baked ham, sliced
To prepare the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 to 45 seconds.
Combine the buttermilk and one egg in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. Add the cheese and pimentos to the dough and mix only until roughly combined.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead gently until well combined, about 5 or 6 times. Pat out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather scraps, pat out to 1/2-inch thickness, and cut additional biscuits.
Place biscuits on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl lightly beat the remaining egg. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Bake until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through, about 18 to 22 minutes.
To assemble: Cut the ham slices into pieces slightly larger than the biscuits. Using a sharp bread knife, split the biscuits. Fill each biscuit with 1 or 2 pieces of the ham to make a sandwich. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 12 biscuits.
Printed with permission from The Southern Pantry Cookbook by Jennifer Chandler.
