Featured Recipe

Cheesy Yellow Squash Biscuits

Name: Cheesy Yellow Squash Biscuits
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for handling; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tbsp granulated sugar; 1 1/4 cups grated yellow squash (about 2 medium squash); 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced; 1/2 cup whole milk; 2 tsp pure maple syrup; 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; Optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives for herbal brightness

By Kate

Created on 25 January 2026

Fluffy biscuit dough folded with grated yellow squash and a sharp cheese twist. Butter, milk, honey meld textures and flavors. Toss dry mix first to distribute leavening evenly before the wet additions. Dough shaped by hand, rustic, forgiving. Baked until subtle golden crust forms, cracking gently, steam rising with rich dairy scent. Use baking dish tight enough to nudge balls together so edges touch for softer sides. Variations included swapping yellow squash for zucchini or gruyère cheese for sharp cheddar. Honey swap out for maple syrup for touch of maple woods sweetness. Learn to sense doneness by color and spring back touch, no clock watching needed.

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 40 min

Serves: 8 servings

vegetable biscuits southern recipes squash dishes

Introduction

Start rough, hands ready. Warm kitchen, flour dusted counters, daybreak aroma filling air. Grating squash not just chopping vegetables—it’s layering moisture and subtle vegetal sweetness into biscuit matrix. Cheese adds bite, fat melts pockets of flavor in crumb. No fancy tools, no exact measuring stress, just feel. Mix dry leaveners first so all biscuits rise equally, no flat pale edges. Butter cold, solid—crucial for flaky result; warm butter drags dough, develops gluten overkill, biscuit bricks wait beneath. Hand mixing—ancient method—keeps air pockets alive. Ball shaping varies—smaller if snack, bigger if meal. Bake until tops color like toasted oat flakes; bottoms firm and dry. Visual and tactile signals beat timers. Serve hot with melting pats of butter, maybe drizzle syrup or scatter herbs. No fuss fuss—working biscuit dough is humble, forgiving. Know moisture in squash, butter’s temp, and dough’s stickiness, then trust looks and feel.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for handling

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups grated yellow squash (about 2 medium squash)

6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tsp pure maple syrup

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives for herbal brightness

About the ingredients

Flour is foundation—basic AP flour works but unbleached preferred for flavor. Baking powder and soda combined for balanced lift and color; don’t substitute with single one. Salt brings out dairy and squash flavor. Sugar just a touch to balance savor, tweak to taste but watch it doesn’t caramelize too quickly. Yellow squash adds moisture and subtle squashiness; zucchini is common swap if season dictates but watch water content—may need draining. Butter is key fat; cold cubes keep dough flaky, soften in oven to pockets of buttery indulgence. Whole milk’s fat enriches flavor and dough texture. Honey replaced with maple syrup for deeper sweetness and slight caramel hint, though any liquid sweetener will do. Cheese sharp cheddar brings bite; swap to gruyère for nuttier finish or omit for dairy-free with olive oil instead of butter but expect less rich mouthfeel.

Method

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First—preheat oven to about 395 degrees F. Slightly cooler than usual, so biscuits get time to rise and brown slowly, building flavor without scorching.

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Grate yellow squash on coarse side of grater. Set aside. If too watery, squeeze gently in kitchen towel but don’t overdo it; you want moisture to steam biscuit interiors.

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Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly. This is foundational—distributes lifters evenly. Skip sifting if in a hurry but mix dry well.

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Toss grated squash into dry mix. Hands work best here—feels the texture, avoids overmixing. Butter diced cold ready to cut in next.

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Work butter into flour-squash mix using fingertips. Little pea-sized lumps still visible—good! Keeps dough flaky. Don’t overblend to avoid tough biscuits.

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Add milk, maple syrup, shredded cheese. Alternatively, swap cheddar for gruyère for nuttier note. Quickly mix with hands dusted lightly in flour. Knead gently a few times until dough sticks mostly together but still rough. Add chopped chives now if using.

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Grease a 9x13 baking dish lightly with butter or oil. Form dough into balls roughly two inches diameter—no need perfect. Place in dish spaced about an inch apart so edges don’t fuse into one solid slab but touch for softer sides.

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Bake for around 25 minutes, watching for golden tops and biscuit base firm to touch. Smell will shift to warm cheesy butter, crust edges crackle faintly. If unsure, test one biscuit by tugging edge—it should pull clean with soft moist crumb inside.

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Rest briefly before serving. Butter melts on warm biscuit almost immediately. Great with more maple syrup or herb butter. Store leftovers wrapped; reheat by oven or toaster for fresher crust.

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Troubleshooting: If dough feels sticky, dust hands and surface. Squash moisture varies—too wet makes sticky dough; dry squash toughens biscuits. Adjust flour slightly. Overbaking leads to dry crumb; underbaking leaves gummy center—watch cues over minutes.

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Substitutions: Yellow squash replaced by zucchini fine but might yield more moisture; drain better. For dairy-free, use vegetable oil and almond milk; flavor changes but texture holds.

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Efficiency tip: Prep dry mix in bulk ahead and store airtight. Grate squash in advance, drain and refrigerate. Cuts time on busy mornings.

Technique Tips

Step one is oven heat—not guesswork but preheat fully so heat penetrates from edges in. Mixing dry ingredients first prevents uneven rising spots or salty lumps. Tossing squash in dry disperses moisture. Butter cold and diced lets you cut fat gently to keep pockets for flaky layers. Use hands for full tactile control, flour fingertips to manage stickiness. Wet additions last, added quickly, mixed but not overworked to keep tenderness. Dough consistency can vary; too sticky, dust more flour, but resist adding too much or biscuits toughen. Shape dough balls by rolling loosely or palm shaping—no need perfect rounds. Space in baking dish crucial; too close means buns join, too far can dry edges. Baking time varies; best gauges are color—deepening golden on top—and texture—base firm but yielding. Allow short rest after baking; residual heat evens crumb and lets butter melt luxury. Troubleshoot moisture by slight adjustments rather than strict measures; personal ovens differ. Reheat properly, dry heat preferred to keep crust.

Chef's Notes

💡 Grate squash nice and coarse. Don't skip the moisture check—gentle squeeze for water. Too wet? Leads to sticky dough. But you want some moisture to keep biscuit soft inside. Balance here crucial.
💡 Mix dry before adding wet, foundational. Even distribution matters. Baking powder and soda need even touch throughout dough for proper rise. Stir well, hands preferred. It's about the feel. Quick but thorough.
💡 Greasing the dish is essential. Light but thorough. Don’t skip this part, or you'll have biscuits stuck. Spacing in the dish? Critical—just about an inch apart. Touching edges give soft sides.
💡 Oven temp is key, use 395 F. Slower bake means depth in flavor. Watch closely, golden on top signals nearing done. Be firm on base; touch test keeps you on track. Airy pockets mean success.
💡 Leftovers? Wrap up. Can reheat easily. Oven or toaster works—keep crust nice. Freshness matters here. Biscuit texture can change when cold. Play with additions for variety–go wild!