I loved the days when I would walk in Granny and Granddaddy’s house and before I shut the front door, one of them would say, “Shug, go look in the safe and find ya something to eat.” The safe was a free-standing, multi-shelved cabinet with doors that stored leftover bits of breakfast meats, biscuits, cornbread, cakes, cookies and sometimes fried chicken. Any leftover that was safe to store all day at room temperature, had a home in the safe. And you could always find something to eat there.
Biscuits were never thrown away. Leftover biscuits made biscuit pudding and bits and pieces of biscuit and cornbread were crumbled and used for dressing. If there were enough biscuits for breakfast the next morning, they were either wrapped in aluminum foil and reheated in the oven or toasted in butter or bacon grease in an iron skillet on top of the stove. If Granny’s sweet tooth was calling her name, she split the biscuits, slathered them with soft butter and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar and baked them until the butter melted and the sugar slightly crystallized.
This morning, I toasted biscuits in an iron skillet for the first time in quite some time. Gosh, they’re even better than I remembered. I enjoyed them with crispy bacon and apple peel jelly.
Another bittersweet memory. I would give up everything I own just to hear,
“Shug, go look in the safe and find ya something to eat.”
Y’all come see us!
Skillet Toasted Biscuits
yield: 1 or 2 servings
Leftover biscuits toasted in a cast iron skillet are a delight. Toasty and buttery, they eagerly await the addition of jelly, jam or preserves.
2 leftover biscuits, split
1 tablespoon butter
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium. Add butter to pan to melt. Stir it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Place biscuit split side down and stir around to coat with butter. Cook until toasted, flip over and repeat on outside. Serve hot with jelly, jam or preserves.
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Sue, a Florida Farm Girl says
Oh, girl. The memories you do stir up. Take a biscuit and poke a hole in it with your finger and pour syrup in it. Portable food.
Jackie Garvin says
Sue,
You better believe it. All southern children should learn how to eat a syrup filled biscuit. 🙂
Jean says
None of my relatives ever threw away food. The grandparents went thru the depression. People throw away a lot of food now and it bothers me. I use everything in some way. I wish you could hear your Grandmother too. A lot of stuff we would love to call back.
Jackie Garvin says
Jean,
It bothers me, too, how wasteful people are. Such a shame.
Jean says
I forgot to say I love toasted biscuits! Leftover mashed potatoes gave us tater cakes for breakfast. Sometimes food re-runs are better than or as good as the beginning!
Jackie Garvin says
I agree with your statements about leftovers!
Dyan Taylor says
Jackie, You make my day when I read entry’s like this one! How many times did we come in from school and get left over biscuits out of the oven, poke a hole in it with a finger and pour sugar inside!!! Thank you for stirring up wonderful old memories girl.
Dyan Taylor, Middle TN
Jackie Garvin says
Dyan,
We would poke a hole in it and fill it with syrup. 🙂
Parris Moore says
Take your cold leftover cornbread cut in in wedges, then slice the wedge and fry in bacon grease till it is browned on both sides.Great eating
Jackie Garvin says
That’s a great tip for leftover or bread, Parris. Thanks for sharing.
Dyan Taylor says
What’s that saying…” you can take the girl out of the south, but not the south out of the girl. “LOL
Jackie Garvin says
🙂
Cheryl Stewart says
Jackie, you expressed my sentiments exactly. Our grandparents were both characters and we loved them dearly. I still miss them every day! Love your blog!
Jackie Garvin says
Cheryl,
There’s not single day I don’t think about them.
Dawn says
My Grandmother split cold biscuits, spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar and poured chocolate syrup on them and put in the oven to get hot. Miss that old safe. A special childhood memory!
Jackie Garvin says
Dawn,
Did she make the chocolate syrup? I’m finding that chocolate gravy and chocolate syrup are the same thing to some folks.
Ann says
Oh Jackie!!! Haven’t had one of those in FOREVER!!! My mama used to take the biscuit dough and make fried biscuits too and they were good with syrup and butter to sop them in!!
Jackie Garvin says
That’s a homemade doughnut! Yum!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I do the same thing with biscuits or even dinner rolls 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
I think we get so focused on reheating in the microwave, we forget about other very useful ways.
Donna Stowers says
My grandma did that, too! She didn’t have a safe, but everyone who came through the back door (the oven was right by the back door) they would yell “Hey!”, then look in the oven. There was always leftover biscuits and various breakfast meats! Bacon, sausage, fried bologna or hotdogs! Syrup, honey, jelly, oh my! lol
Donna Stowers says
Love skillet toasted leftover biscuits! Don’t forget skillet toasted donuts! Slice them in half, slather with butter, toast in a skillet or on tin foil in the toaster oven!
Jackie Garvin says
That’s a great idea for leftover donuts…..if there is such a thing as leftover donuts. 🙂
david says
We would take sorghum syrup and peanut butter and mix it together and have good hot biscuits to spread the peanut butter and syrup on
Jackie Garvin says
Peanut butter and syrup are great biscuit toppings.
Lita Watson says
Have you ever used bacon grease instead of butter to toast biscuits? They give that salty and meaty flavor that your family will surely love.
Jackie Garvin says
I have used bacon grease. It’s great for toasting biscuits. Thanks for stopping by!