BISCUIT BITES and WARM MEMORIES

Every child should have someone who makes them feel incredibly special, and Allen’s Aunt Edna was the person who gave Allen that gift.  No matter what, Edna was always there to make Allen feel good about himself. When I make these little treats I think of Edna and her unconditional love.

When we were newly married, we invited her young son, Charlie to stay with us for a month in the summer while Edna was going through chemotherapy. Charlie was in elementary school at the time. Allen taught Charlie about fixing cars and training dogs to hunt, Edna was able to spend some time on her own health, and Charlie became another willing recipient of my cooking efforts.   

When Charlie returned home, he had indeed, added a few pounds.  Edna asked, “What did you do?!”  Charlie told her that when he stayed with us, “It was like going out to a restaurant every night–but we just ate at home!”

EASY TO MAKE, EASY TO EAT

I don’t remember all of the meals that we ate, but I do remember one recipe that Charlie particularly loved.  He had no idea back then that this treat was so easy to make, although the jig is up now.

These little biscuit bites are made from only three ingredients.  I now like to serve them as a supplement to soup.  But when we lived in the country, I used them as a hearty snack after ice skating on the pond behind the house, or as something to nibble on while watching football games on TV.

Start by unwrapping one of those pop-open cans of refrigerator biscuits.  Somehow, I picked up the “grand’’ version, but it really works best to use the regular size, 10-count package.  I decided to pull each biscuit apart to make two halves because the “grand” biscuits were so big. Otherwise there is just too much dough and not enough filling.

GET CREATIVE WITH THE FILLING

You can make these with Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, muenster, gouda, or any other firm cheese that you like.  Thinly sliced lunch meat can also be varied: ham, turkey or beef are all good options.

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I cut the cheese into cubes about 1/2 inch big and flatten the biscuit with my hand to make a circle about 4-5 inches in diameter.  Then I wrap a piece of meat around the cheese and place it in the center of the flattened biscuit. I use a pleating method to bring the dough up and around the cube to cover it completely. Place the biscuits on a lined baking sheet and baked right away or covered lightly and kept in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until ready to bake. 

Serve these warm as an accompaniment to soup. You can also serve them at room temperature as petite little sandwiches. Make them when you want something easy and simple. Your family and guests will be pleased.

BISCUIT BITES

• 1 package refrigerator biscuits, 10 count (12 ounces)
• 10 slices ham, thinly sliced
• 10 Swiss cheese, 1/2-inch cubes

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil spray, or line it with parchment paper or silpat. Flatten a biscuit; wrap the ham around a piece of cheese and place in the middle of the biscuit. Bring the edges of the dough up to totally enclose the ham and cheese.  Press edges of dough together securely and place seam side down on the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until brown.

Makes 10 servings.