"Red Lobster"-ish Crab Alfredo and Cheddar Biscuits

First off, I need to apologize. I made this amazing crab alfredo and it was wonderful, however, I forgot to take a picture of it to share with everyone else. You will just have to trust me on this one. (recipe is below the cheddar biscuits)

We have always been a fan of the Red Lobster Cheddar biscuits...they are heaven on earth. When I decided to make my "red lobster" crab alfredo, I immediately thought "I HAVE to make cheddar biscuits"! Let's be honest, this isn't the healthiest meal I've made, but there are small things that I did do in order to cut fat/calories here and there.

I started with the Cheddar Biscuits (made the dough and then popped them in the oven when the alfredo sauce was just about ready).

Cheddar Biscuits
(makes 6 biscuits)

I combined two different recipes to come up with this. I liked a little bit from both, but one had too much butter and one didn't seem to have any seasoning to it.

What you will Need:

• 2 cups of bisquick baking mix (pancake mix)
• 2/3 cup milk (I used Skim and it worked perfect)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I used reduced fat cheddar cheese).
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• pinch of salt

What to Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 450
2. Mix baking mix, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms, beat vigorously for 30 seconds.
3. Drop dough by the spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. (It was recommended to use an ice cream scooper, but I just used a spoon.)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
5. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave (30-40 seconds). Mix in the garlic, dried parsley and salt to taste - I don't add salt). Brush over warm biscuits before serving.

**These biscuits are relatively low in calories. They are approximately 275 cal/serving. 

"Red Lobster" Crab Alfredo

 (no picture available...again, I apologize). 

What you will need:

• 1/2 pound of cooked snow crab meat, or 2-3 (8oz.) packages of imitation crab meat (both work well)
• 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 2 cups half and half (most people use heavy cream here...I use half and half. The non-fat half and half is okay too, but it more watery so I would add a bit more flour if you plan on using that).
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (or more to taste).
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (approx. 1 teaspoon - or to taste. I keep adding until I'm satisfied with the flavor).
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Package linguine

What to Do:

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. 
3. Stir in flour until mixture looks sandy (DO NOT let it color - this is only about 45-60 seconds). Whisk in half&half (or cream) until mixture forms a thick sauce. Stir in cheese and season with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste (I don't normally use salt in this sauce).
4. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors and then stir in the crab meat. (Reduce the heat to low here). Simmer just until the crab is heated through.
5. Serve over cooked linguine with additional parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes (if desired). 

Enjoy!