It was in 1930, so history tells us, that General Mills sales exec Carl Smith sat down to some fabulous hot biscuits in a train dining car. Amazed that fresh biscuits could be delivered in short order on a train, Smith visited the chef’s galley after his meal. The chef showed how he had premixed lard, flour, baking powder and salt and kept his prepared mixture on ice so he could readily bake up biscuits for passengers. In the Depression-era ’30s, before muffin, biscuit or cake mix, this was a novel approach.
Smith recognized a good idea when he saw it and took the concept back to General Mills. Work soon began on a formula that could be boxed and stored outside the fridge. The result was Bisquick, a handy kitchen helper that’s worth a revisit.
Many of us grew up with our parents or grandparents pulling the General Mills Betty Crocker Bisquick out of the pantry to make biscuits or pancakes. The prepared baking mix of flour, shortening, salt and baking powder has withstood the test of time, as useful today as ever, if not moreso. It’s been called “the most versatile ingredient in your kitchen” by more than one source, including chowhound.com. This baking shortcut provides faster ways to make so many foods we love, from casseroles to dinner rolls to desserts.
Long summer days packed with activity call for quick-fix suppers. A few suggestions you can make with Bisquick include a healthier alternative to fried chicken — oven-baked chicken legs breaded in a light, crispy coating full of seasonings. Or try the “Impossible Quiche” recipe made with ham, bacon and Swiss. Make it vegetarian with vegetables instead of meats. (Make sure to let it cool down. The quiche will fall apart if you try to serve it too soon. Let it rest out of the oven for a while, says thekitchenmagpie.com.)
The chicken alfredo recipe today has “everything needed for a complete meal in a pan: chicken, veggie and a side bread,” says bettycrocker.com.
For dessert, use Bisquick with fresh peaches from the local farmers market to create peach-ginger shortcakes.
Mmm … tastes like summertime already.
OVEN BAKED DRUMSTICKS
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes 6 servings
2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2/3 cup Bisquick mix
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 pounds chicken drumsticks, chicken legs
Spray butter
(Source: lilluna.com)
PEACH-GINGER SHORTCAKES
Prep: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Makes 6 servings
For filling:
3 cups sliced peeled peaches
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For shortcakes:
2 1/2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
For sweetened whipped cream:
3/4 cup whipping cream
4 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
(Source: bettycrocker.com)
IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHICKEN ALFREDO SKILLET
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups sliced zucchini (about 4 medium or 1 pound)
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup Alfredo pasta sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
(Note: For extra color, use a combination of zucchini and yellow summer squash. Change up vegetables with fresh broccoli and cut-up red bell pepper.)
(Source: bettycrocker.com)
BISQUICK IMPOSSIBLE QUICHE RECIPE
Get the full recipe at The Kitchen Magpie.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.