🥓🧀 Ham and Cheese Butter Swim Biscuits
Tender, buttery biscuits loaded with savory diced ham and melty cheddar cheese, all baked right in a pool of melted butter. The edges become wonderfully golden and crisp while the centers stay soft, fluffy, and rich.
These easy biscuits require no rolling, kneading, or biscuit cutters, making them perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacks, or a comforting side dish. (Food Network)
⏱ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Total Time: About 40 minutes
Yield: 9 biscuits
Difficulty: Easy
🛒 Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups (415 ml) buttermilk, plus a little more if needed
- 2 cups (about 280 g) ham, cut into small dice
- 1½ cups (about 170 g) shredded cheddar cheese
For the Butter
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted
Optional Flavor Additions
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions
- Extra shredded cheddar, for topping
Instructions
🔥 1. Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
Lightly grease an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch deep baking dish.
A deeper dish is preferable because the melted butter can bubble up as the biscuits bake. (I Am Homesteader)
🧈 2. Melt the Butter
Melt the butter and pour it evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Set the dish aside while you prepare the biscuit dough.
🌾 3. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- Salt
If using garlic powder or black pepper, add them now.
Mix thoroughly so the baking powder and seasonings are evenly distributed.
🥛 4. Add the Buttermilk
Pour 1¾ cups of buttermilk into the flour mixture.
Stir gently with a spatula until a thick, sticky dough forms.
Don’t overmix.
If you still see dry flour that won’t incorporate, add another tablespoon or two of buttermilk as needed.
The dough should be thick and sticky rather than pourable. (The Country Cook)
🥓 5. Add the Ham and Cheese
Gently fold the diced ham and shredded cheddar into the dough.
Mix only until they’re evenly distributed.
Don’t overwork the dough. A light touch helps keep the finished biscuits tender and fluffy.
🧈 6. Add the Dough to the Butter
Carefully spoon the biscuit dough directly over the melted butter in the baking dish.
Use a lightly greased spatula or clean hands to gently spread the dough toward the edges.
Some of the melted butter will naturally rise around the sides and over portions of the dough.
That’s exactly what you want—the biscuits literally “swim” in butter as they bake. (Food Network)
🔪 7. Score the Biscuits
Using a knife or bench scraper, gently score the dough into 9 squares.
Don’t cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
Scoring makes the finished biscuits easier to separate after baking. (The Country Cook)
🧀 8. Add Optional Cheese
For an extra-cheesy finish, sprinkle a little additional shredded cheddar over the surface.
You can also add chopped chives or green onions.
🔥 9. Bake
Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your preheated oven.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, rotating the dish once halfway through for even browning.
The biscuits are ready when:
- The top is golden brown
- The edges are crisp and buttery
- The center is set
- A toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter
If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. (The Country Cook)
⏲️ 10. Rest and Serve
Remove the biscuits from the oven and allow them to rest for approximately 5 minutes.
This gives the butter time to settle into the biscuits and makes them easier to cut.
Follow the scored lines, separate the biscuits, and serve warm.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Use Cold Buttermilk
Cold buttermilk helps keep the biscuit dough tender.
Don’t Overmix
Stir only until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can produce dense biscuits.
Use a Deep Baking Dish
Butter can bubble considerably during baking, so a deeper dish helps prevent overflow. (I Am Homesteader)
Don’t Be Afraid of the Butter
The butter pooling around the dough is what creates the signature crisp, rich edges.
Check the Center
Because these biscuits are thick and loaded with ham and cheese, make sure the center is fully baked before removing them.
🥓🧀 Easy Variations
Ham, Cheddar & Chive
Add 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives for a bright oniony flavor.
Garlic Parmesan
Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder to the dough and sprinkle Parmesan over the top before baking.
Jalapeño Cheddar
Add 1 finely chopped jalapeño for a spicy kick.
Bacon & Cheddar
Replace half of the ham with crispy cooked bacon.
Ham & Pepper Jack
Replace some or all of the cheddar with pepper Jack for extra heat.
Breakfast Biscuits
Serve warm with scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast sandwich-style meal.
🍳 What to Serve With Them
These biscuits are delicious alongside:
- Scrambled or fried eggs
- Breakfast sausage
- Crispy bacon
- Hash browns
- Fresh fruit
- Tomato soup
- Chicken soup
- Green salad
They also make an excellent side for dinner instead of traditional dinner rolls.
🧊 Storage
Allow leftover biscuits to cool completely before storing.
Place them in an airtight container.
Refrigerator: Up to 3 days.
For the best texture, reheat before serving.
🔥 Reheating
Oven: 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes
Air fryer: 325°F (165°C) for 3–5 minutes
Avoid prolonged microwaving if you want to preserve the crispy buttery edges.
❄️ Freezing
Wrap individual cooled biscuits tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
🥓🧀 Recipe Summary
These Ham and Cheese Butter Swim Biscuits are the ultimate low-effort comfort bake: soft buttermilk biscuit dough packed with savory ham and melted cheddar, baked directly in melted butter until the edges turn crisp and golden.
No rolling pin. No biscuit cutter. No complicated technique.
Just mix, spread, score, bake, and enjoy.
Buttery, cheesy, tender, and loaded with ham—these are biscuits worth making on repeat. 🥓🧀🧈