sandwiches

I figured it was time for man food- something hearty enough to celebrate all the baby daddies out there on this upcoming Father’s Day. What I came up with are some no-fuss, pepper bacon, cheddar, and egg breakfast sandwiches prepared on flaky, layered buttermilk biscuits. The perfect nod to my meat-loving, Southern husband.

Marrying a “Man’s Man”

Brett is really good at man things. He can ride a tractor and change any tire. He’s excellent at killing spiders and unclogging toilets, and I’ve literally watched him run across a 4 lane highway to pull a man out of an overturned vehicle. He’s annoyingly terrific with one-liners, can grill a steak with the best of them, and could probably carry our entire family in his two arms if he had to. This man, even at 37 years old, looks great with his shirt off, and the average housewife could probably make an afternoon out of watching him chop a pile of firewood. (Read: Do not watch my husband chopping firewood with his shirt off. I will cut you.)

Yes, he chews with his mouth open. He’s a little colorblind, particularly when he’s getting dressed for a nice dinner. He farts under the covers, has the attention span of a gnat, and has the absolute worst taste in music. But he works hard for our family. He keeps trying when we fight and makes me laugh when I’m too prideful to do it myself. I catch him rolling in the grass with our kiddos from time to time and he always insists on kissing both of them before they go to sleep at night. He’s a good husband and a really, really good daddy.

Good Husband, Good Dad

I imagine in the future he will coach t-ball teams and bait fishing lines. He’ll teach our kids to drive and will wake them early on Saturdays for donuts and yard work. I can already see him filming the kids before their proms and after graduations, always with a stupid grin and the hint of pride all over his face.

But the thing I admire most about my husband and the way that he parents is that even now, when our babies are still so small and fresh in the world, he’s already concerned about the legacy that he will leave them someday. He has the foresight to know that our children will be affected by the way we exist today, and he is set on building a life that our children can aspire to.

Brett talks a lot about integrity and hardwork. He talks about cultivating a home that our family and friends will want to be apart of. We pray for our children, and we talk about the lessons they need to learn early and the ones we want to protect them from ever experiencing. He talks about having a strong marriage and what he wants to teach our children about being a husband, about being a man.

My husband, although not without his fair share of annoying quirks and morning breath, is a really great father. If there’s anything sexier than a man who reads to his kids before they go to bed, I don’t want to know. And if you tell me there’s anything better than getting old and crochety with the person who is set on growing old and crochety with you, I won’t believe you. I just won’t.

Buttermilk Biscuits

So let’s make some buttermilk biscuits, okay? We start by combining the dry ingredients- flour, salt, baking powder, and soda. Using a pastry cutter, we work in some ice cold unsalted butter, which will ensure that our biscuits are flaky and rich in flavor. Then, we pour in the buttermilk, stirring just enough to work it all into a shaggy dough. With quick hands, the dough pats down and folds several times to produce a dough that will rise and expand into fluffy, pillowy layers once baked. And with that, the dough is finished and reading for cutting!

You can use a knife or biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits, just be sure that it is well floured. Push straight down while cutting the dough so that those biscuits will rise sky high in the hot oven. A final brush of butter and the buttermilk biscuits are ready for the oven.

Serving the Biscuits

Once baked, the buttermilk biscuits are golden brown, fluffy, and layered- the perfect vehicle for pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, and eggs. Although they are best eaten straight from the oven, you can pre-make and re-warm the biscuits in the oven to save on breakfast prep time. The bacon is rather simple, requiring only a hot oven and fresh ground black pepper, and the eggs can be prepared however your Dad prefers them.

Serve the biscuits warm with melty cheddar cheese on top and any other toppings your Papa or Man friend likes. Maybe some mayo and tomato? Crunchy lettuce and creamy avocado? Maybe some leftover pico de gallo or hot sauce from last night’s dinner? Whatever you choose, just make sure that Dad uses the buttermilk biscuits to sop every last bit of it up. Got it?

Happy Father’s Day to all you daddies out there. And women, take time to love on all the great men in your life. This world desperately needs more good men and fathers. So love your man, your friends, your sons, and nephews well; encourage them to be someone worth looking up to. Chances are, someone already is. Happy Tuesday and cheers!

If you like these buttermilk biscuits, be sure to check out:

Honey Nut Biscuits 

Cheddar Cornmeal Chicken Pot Pie

Texas Hot Sauce

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Flaxseed Bread

Honey Oat Bread

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Buttermilk Biscuits

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Flaky, all butter, buttermilk biscuits are a rich and layered treat to use for all of your breakfast sandwiches.

• Author: Kate Wood
• Yield: 7

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260 gm) all-purpose flour
• 2–1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, very cold and diced into tablespoon sized pieces
• 1 cup (240 mL) buttermilk, very cold
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Using a pastry cutter or the back of two forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. Pour in the buttermilk and mix only until barely combined. Do not overmix.
3. Dump the dough out onto a floured counter and gently pat out into a ¾ inch thick rectangle of dough. Fold the dough in half, rotate the dough 90 degrees, and repeat the folding. Rotate and fold a total of three times total and then pat the dough out until 1” thick. Using a generously floured 2-1/2” biscuit butter, cut out rounds of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Gently collect the remaining dough and pat together so that you can cut out additional biscuits. Lightly brush biscuits with the melted butter and place in the preheated oven, baking for about 13-15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown.

Notes

• Biscuits are best eaten fresh from the oven but can be made in advance and warmed in a toaster oven.
• Be sure not to overwork your biscuit dough. This can cause your biscuits to be tough and chewy.
• Folding the biscuit dough allows for layered biscuits. Using ice cold butter and buttermilk ensures that they will be flaky.

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Pepper Bacon

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Thick, applewood bacon is transformed into a fragrant and peppery dish with the addition of just a sprinkle of pepper!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Yield: 8

Ingredients

• ¾ pound (about 8 slices) thick cut Applewood bacon
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of each slice of bacon evenly with the pepper. Lay flat on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the bacon is crisped to your liking. Allow to cool briefly on a paper towel lined plate prior to assembling sandwiches.

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Pepper Bacon, Cheddar, and Egg Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwiches

Print Recipe

Pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg top some flaky buttermilk biscuits to create a simple and mouthwatering breakfast or brunch dish.

• Author: Kate Wood

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 fried or scrambled eggs
• 6 slices of cheddar cheese or ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Additional toppings as desired like tomato, avocado, grilled onions, pico de gallo, etc.

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Instructions

1. Cut each biscuit in half. Spread a bit of butter on the insides of both halves. Place egg on the bottom half of each biscuit and top with cheese, a slice of bacon, and desired toppings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve warm!

Recipe Adapted From: The Kitchn