Cathead Biscuits
In Appalachian and Southern cooking, "cathead biscuits" are large, fluffy biscuits said to be about the size of a cat’s head. Hand-shaped and baked in a skillet, they’re a farmhouse staple.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never had 'cathead biscuits' at home growin' up. It was always 'drop biscuits. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never had 'cathead biscuits' at home growin' up. It was always 'drop biscuits. Pronunciation
[CAT-hed BIZ-kits]
Meaning & Usage
- Large hand-shaped biscuit (noun)
Mae:
These cathead biscuits are so big, one’ll fill you up.
These cathead biscuits are so big, one’ll fill you up.
Earl:
Pass the gravy, I’ll make it fit.
Pass the gravy, I’ll make it fit.variations: big biscuits, skillet biscuits, farmhouse biscuits, cat-heads, cathead-style biscuits
★ They’re called "cathead" because they’re about the size of a cat’s head - not because there’s cat in them! Expect them big, soft, and filling. ★
Origin and Etymology
The phrase "cathead biscuit" dates back to the 19th century in the rural South and Appalachia. Farm cooks made them large to feed hungry workers with fewer batches.
Usage Notes
Still common in Appalachian and Southern kitchens, especially with gravy, molasses, or butter. Not the same as drop biscuits - catheads are larger, hand-shaped, and fluffier.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "cat-hed." The "a" is short, and "biscuits" often comes out as "bizkits."