Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits Make the Best Thanksgiving Stuffing

Cheesy, garlicky stuffing will be your new favorite holiday tradition.

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits have been a part of my life for decades, but they didn’t reach their potential for greatness until they became stuffing. Yes, stuffing—or technically dressing, since it's served outside of the bird…or, rather lobster. Now, this is an innovation I can’t believe I didn’t come up with first.

Last week, the chain restaurant launched its new Lobster & Shrimp Holiday Feast menu, complete with a remixed version of Pastor Shirley Caesar’s now-famous “Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes” (sung by Pastor Caesar herself). The menu includes Cheddar Bay Stuffing, a brand new side at Red Lobster that instantly caught my eyes. However, a press release did not specify whether the savory stuffing had actual Cheddar Bay Biscuits in it, only saying it contained “savory brioche, Cheddar Bay, bacon, and mushrooms.”

I had to know, so I drove 40 minutes to my closest Red Lobster (side note: Los Angeles, get it together) and dug in. Though the menu also had Lobster- & Cheddar Bay-Stuffed Shrimp, I opted to try the stuffing solo so I could try to deconstruct it in my mind.

I Tried Red Lobster's New Cheddar Bay Stuffing

The Cheddar Bay Stuffing was fluffy inside with the buttery brioche bread mixing with a gentle garlic-and-herb flavor that was unmistakably Cheddar Bay-esque. A subtle cheesiness—no cheese pull, but definite Cheddar flavor—ran throughout, especially on the crispy exterior. Hints of smoky bacon and earthy, umami-rich mushrooms rounded everything out. It was so perfectly seasoned and tender that I wasn't even missing gravy.

I detected a bit of biscuit texture and flavor, but was still unsure if there were actual Cheddar Bay Biscuits inside or just their Cheddar Bay seasoning. So I reached out to an official Red Lobster representative and was told, “Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Stuffing is a savory combination of brioche, Cheddar Bay Biscuit crumbles, bacon, and mushroom.”

Cheddar Bay Biscuit crumbles?! What are those and why aren't they (along with Cheddar Bay seasoning) being packaged and sold? I would buy them in a heartbeat for croutons for salads and soups, or even crumbled atop pasta like breadcrumbs. But since neither of those things exist (yet!), I tried my hand at making my own all-biscuit Cheddar Bay Stuffing at home.

How to Make Cheddar Bay Biscuit Stuffing at Home

To make my homemade version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Stuffing, I first broke apart and toasted six to-go Cheddar Bay Biscuits my waiter slipped me on the way out. Then I mixed them with sautéed onion, garlic, and mushrooms that had been seasoned with sage, rosemary, thyme, dehydrated chives, salt, and pepper.

In went the toasted CBBC (Cheddar Bay Biscuit crumbles), then a hefty splash of chicken stock, a slightly less hefty splash of whole milk, an egg, and some freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese. After mixing it all in a bowl, I transferred the mixture to an oven-proof skillet (the same one I sautéed the aromatics in) and baked it at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes covered, then another 15 minutes uncovered. Finally, I topped with a little more Cheddar cheese and broiled it for 5 minutes to crisp up.

What emerged from the oven was the most decadent stuffing I’ve ever had. The butteriness of the biscuits made both the top and bottom crisp and the inside delightfully tender and fluffy in a different way than bread or cornbread. It, again, did not need gravy because it was moist enough on its own.

I plan on making another batch ASAP using the boxed Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix I get from Costco since I have it on hand, but there’s also a fabulous top-rated copycat recipe that you can use to make Cheddar Bay Stuffing your new favorite holiday tradition.

Read the original article on All Recipes.