It has been a bit quiet around here as I navigate lots of travel, visitors, and weddings, but I’m back with recipes! These caramelized onion blue cheese biscuits with roasted tomatoes are a bit different from the sweets we’re used to having around here, but they are oh so good and make great use of all of those fresh tomatoes that are popping up at the farmers’ market (and soon in gardens!).
For as long as I can remember, our family’s weekend tradition has included homemade biscuits, made by my dad, and cut by the kids with an eclectic and extensive collection of cookie cutters. We use a variety of cookie cutters to cut the biscuits into different shapes depending on the season or events of the week. Even now that the kids are mostly out of the house, my dad has continued the tradition, making a small batch of homemade biscuits on Sunday mornings before church (this week’s cookie cutters included a dinosaur for Jurassic World).
Just like we had Sunday morning biscuit traditions, we also had vacation biscuit traditions. We went on a week-long vacation each year with two families of our great friends and on at least one day of our vacation we would wake up to the smell of Uncle Bob’s special sausage gravy cooking on the stove and fresh-out-of-the-oven biscuits. The 10 of us kids would line up at the kitchen counter with sleepy eyes as my dad and Uncle Bob laughed together over simmering gravy and fluffy biscuits sliding off the warm tray right onto our plates.
I don’t know if it is because of these sentimental traditions, because biscuits are such a common breakfast option in the South, or just because they are delicious, but I have a soft spot for the fluffy, buttery quick bread. It was only a matter of time before I made a version to share. These caramelized onion blue cheese biscuits are more savory than a plain biscuit topped with butter would be, but their uniqueness and the rich flavor combination makes them irresistible and so delicious. Topped with tomatoes roasted with more caramelized onions, the combination makes an amazing summertime dish for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
Caramelized Onion Blue Cheese Biscuits with Roasted Tomatoes
Makes 8 large biscuits
Caramelized Onion Blue Cheese Biscuits
3 cups flour
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
¾ cup blue cheese crumbles
½ cup caramelized onion (from about 2/3 onion), cooled
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg
1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk
Egg Wash
1 large egg, whisked
Roasted Tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large onions, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
¼ cup coarsely chopped basil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To make the caramelized onion blue cheese biscuits:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry knife, until pieces are pea-sized. Gently stir in the blue cheese crumbles, caramelized onion, and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix together egg and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir together with a pastry fork until mixture comes together. Do not overmix or the butter will melt too much and your biscuits won’t have as many layers.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter or cutting board. Gently fold over several times to develop layers. Press down until about 1.25″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or sharp knife, cut out biscuits. For the most fluffy, layered biscuits, cut straight down with a sharp edge, and place the dough onto your prepared pan. Brush the tops of the biscuit dough with egg wash.
Bake for about 12-18 minutes or until golden. Serve warm topped with the roasted tomato mixture.
To make the roasted tomatoes:
In a medium pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. When the pan is warm, add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. This will take about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove your pan from the heat, add balsamic vinegar and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl toss together whole cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, and red pepper flakes. Add caramelized onions and stir until everything is evenly distributed. Mix in salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour the tomato and onion mixture into a square 8×8-inch baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes and onions are bubbling.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving atop the caramelized onion blue cheese biscuits.
Biscuit recipe adapted from The Faux Martha
Leave a Reply