Breakfast-worthy biscuits
Fast food restaurants have made a killing off breakfast biscuits. And if you read the statistics about American obesity, not to mention our cholesterol, fat and carbohydrate levels, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize those same biscuits may not be so good for us.
As a Southern cook who loves her biscuits, I wondered if I could come up with a delicious, satisfying biscuit that would compare to the hot and steamy ones we can get at the drive-through window yet be a nutritionally sound breakfast alternative.
Because most folks make biscuits from a mix, I scrapped the idea of biscuits from scratch. Then I significantly lowered the amount of ham and cheese on the biscuit, but maintained the flavor by stirring it into the biscuit itself. Who wants a biscuit where you have to ask where the ham is?
Next, I decided to go with an egg substitute, which not only helps out nutritionally but also makes for an easy pour-and-fry technique. (Of course, when you prepare these delicious breakfast sandwiches at home, you can use real eggs if that is your pleasure.)
In less than 20 minutes, Ham and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits with Egg are ready to go — and really delicious. I served them to friends who were visiting in the middle of the week. They could not believe that I had been up just 20 minutes before, and the biscuits were ready to head out the door with them.
Nutritionally, when compared to Hardee's Ham, Egg and Cheese Biscuit, these biscuits come in at: 264 calories vs. 400 calories; 7 g of fat vs. 22 g of fat; 14 mg of cholesterol vs. 205 mg of cholesterol; and 927 mg sodium vs. 1,400 mg of sodium.
Don't you think a few minutes in the kitchen are worth these nutritional savings?
Suggested menu: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits with Egg with sliced oranges and coffee
Ÿ Write to Alicia Ross at Kitchen Scoop, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, or tellus@kitchenscoop.com. More at the Kitchen Scoop website, kitchenscoop.com.