Bacon Cheddar Drop Biscuits. Bacon and 1.5 sticks of butter. Oh Yeah!

So I made tese for a staff meeting last night.  They went over well, and I didn't get to try one, so I decided to make some more to accompany takeout chicken dinner for this evening.  I learned howto make these in a typical-me fashion.  I had just gotten my 17" skillet and was absolutely dying to skillet something.  Anything.  The dogs were starting to look a little edgy when they got near the kitchen if I was there.  So I litereally started scanning google, predominantly YouTube, for "skillet recipes".  I found this segment on YouTube titled "Art Smith's Cheddar Cheese Drop Biscuits - The Secret Ingredient".  I should mention that I had obligated myself to cooking with some friends that evening.  While preparing to leave work, obsessive as ever, I searched and found Art and his skillet making magic.  It is some restaurant recipe, but who knew, it translates to domestic adventure as well.  So I furiously scribbled notes onto about 6 post-its, scooped them up, and headed for the store on my way to the social endeavour.  I have the notes angled towards cooking on a skillet in the oven.  I am hoping to soon figure the coal ratios to prepare this in a dutch in the back yard.
The recipe is as follows:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
MIX GENTLY IN A LARGE BOWL
4 tbsp chilled butter
 BLEND IN USING TWO FORKS OR A PASTRY HAND MIXER
1/4 (at least) cup shredded cheddar (I like mild)
(you can also add 1/4 cup of chopped, cooked bacon at this point if you like, and brother, I like)
MAKE WELL OR HOLE IN MIDDLE OF MIXTURE
1 cup buttermilk
POUR IN BUTTERMILK AND MIX UNTIL YOU REACH A MEALY TEXTURE. RUMOR HAS IT OVERMIXING RELEASES TOO MANY GLUTENS.  I DON'T SUPPORT GLUTEN RIGHTS, SO IT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME...

Preheat oven with skillet inside to 425 degrees. Melt at least 2 tbsp butter into preheated skillet.  Because I use a 17" I use 4 tbsp butter.  I end up with the biscuits, already full of butter, cooking in about 1/4" pool of butter.  But wait... there's more.

Make 1/4 cup or so sized dough drops.  They don't have to be pretty.  The mix is pretty sticky at this point and wants to become a real mess.  I learned after the first batch to spray pam on my hands between each drop (Thans Mrs. Mr. Wizard!).  Mr. Wizard also showed the effective use of butter for this purpose as well.  Love the Wizards. 

Once you have the pan covered, 8-12 biscuits depending on your grasp of proportions, you take, you guessed it, 4 tbsp melted butter and baste the top of the bisquits as well.  That sound, incidentally, was the collective gasp of the Board of the American Heart Association.  They don't have to send flowers, but I will have a buttery happy smile all the way to the grave!

Then throw the pan int o the oven and cook for 14-16 minutes.  You should check in on them near the end of the time.  With the butter, butter, and butter, they will brown.  It is beautiful at first, but can get a bit severe looking if allowed to go just a bit too long.  They magic point is the truest sense of "golden brown".  They will be the color of light straw, with a hint of dark honey across the top, a bit darker on the narrowist of the peaks.

When you pull them out, immediately sprinkle them across the top with another 1/4 (at least) cup shredded cheddar. 

Eat immediately.  Be messy.  Enjoy.  Repeat.  These don't really reheat that well, so I suggest being piggies and eating them all.  Start rubbing jelly or syrup or, I don't know, butter on them.  The second time I shared these socially, someone suggested I was copying some Red Lobster garlic biscuit.  Don't know anything about that.  If I have had them, they weren't memorable enough to even be considered here.  Besides that, if you want RL's biscuits, go to RL.  Otherwise, shut up and eat a biscuit.  Go ahead.  Have another.  Try not to look like you're enjoying it.  And another.  Okay, leave some for me now.  Hey!  Gimme the damn biscuit!  Put... down... the... biscuit...

Love and iron, Del