Give Canned Biscuits A Golden, Caramelized Bottom With One Kitchen Utensil

On the list of mistakes to avoid when hosting Thanksgiving dinner, we forgot to add "biffing the biscuits" — and, yet, it's definitely an error to sidestep. The culinary family of palm-sized carbs that includes dinner rolls, cornbread, and biscuits may only ever be a supporting player on your holiday table, but your loved ones will definitely miss them if they aren't included. Don't biscuits deserve some love as well? Sure, you can whip up homemade specimens with a tried-and-true 3-2-1 method, but we're here to tell you that canned biscuits can also become something delightful. All you need is your trusty cast iron pan.

If you're anything like us, your cast iron pans get a strenuous workout around the holidays every year. We challenge you to dedicate one special skillet for the loveliest canned biscuits with an irresistibly crispy bottom. Simply melt butter all over the bottom of your skillet and cook the biscuits inside it. This has both a stovetop and oven permutation (with plenty of social media denizens trying both), but the benefits of either method are clear. The butter seeps up into the bottom of the biscuits and produces a crust that is absolutely caramelized, golden, and remarkably textured. 

It's true that cooking biscuits in cast iron takes a bit longer than normal sheet pan prep, as more care must be taken so that the top and bottom don't burn, but we promise you that the results are richly worthwhile. Cast iron's superb heat conduction is to thank for the glorious texture. As a bonus, the nonstick qualities of a well-seasoned pan can't be beat. 

Why aren't more people discussing cast iron as a way of taking canned biscuits to the next level? We're not sure, but we're here to shout the good news from the rooftops! On one hand, you can use cast iron in a way very similar to baking biscuits on a pan in the oven. Simply melt butter in the bottom of the skillet before placing your dough inside and putting it in the oven. We recommend a lower temperature and a longer bake to ensure that your biscuits cook on the outside and achieve peak crispiness without leaving the middle undercooked and gooey. If you want to really dress up your biscuits for the holidays, brush the tops with garlic butter or cinnamon sugar before baking.

On the other hand, we've also fallen in love with cooking methods that cook biscuits right on the stovetop, which can free up valuable oven space for your other holiday cooking. It takes longer than baking in the oven, but time-saving isn't the goal here, but a buttery, crispy, gorgeous texture absolutely is. Using low heat (this part is non-negotiable), you simply cook your biscuits on both sides before covering your skillet with a lid and letting them finish for a few minutes more. 

Done properly, you'll yield biscuits with tender, thoroughly cooked insides and a buttery, golden exterior that's absolutely craveable. If you want a hack with slightly less stress, tear your raw biscuits in half for flatter rounds that cook faster without worrying about the insides. No matter which method you choose, your holiday biscuits are never going to be the same!