Let me tell you about cheddar bay biscuit seafood pot pie – it’s what happens when you take those addictive Red Lobster biscuits and use them as the topping for creamy seafood pot pie instead of regular pie crust. I made this last winter on a whim and my roommate literally said “this is the best thing you’ve ever made” which is high praise considering I’ve cooked for her for three years. The combination of buttery garlic cheddar biscuits with rich seafood filling is genuinely life-changing.
This is creamy seafood stew (shrimp, fish, whatever you like) in a white wine sauce, topped with drop biscuits loaded with cheddar and garlic, baked until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling. It’s comfort food that feels fancy enough for company but is actually just assembling two relatively simple components. No rolling out pie dough, no complicated techniques, just cooking and baking.
Best part? The biscuits soak up some of that creamy seafood sauce from underneath while staying crispy on top. You get crispy-soft biscuit texture plus all that rich filling in every bite. It’s basically the perfect food.
Why This Beats Regular Pot Pie
Regular pot pie is fine but the crust is usually just there to hold everything together. These cheddar bay biscuits are actually as good as the filling – maybe better honestly. The garlic butter, the sharp cheddar, the fluffy texture – they’re not just a vehicle for the seafood, they’re a co-star. Plus drop biscuits are way easier than rolling pie dough or dealing with puff pastry.
I made this for a dinner party where I was trying to impress people without actually working that hard. Everyone raved about it. One person asked for the recipe and seemed disappointed when they realized it wasn’t some family secret passed down through generations. Nope, just Red Lobster-style biscuits on top of seafood filling. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones.
Here’s why you need this pot pie:
- Cheddar bay biscuits make everything better – this is science
- Way easier than traditional pot pie with rolled crust
- The biscuits actually add flavor instead of just being there
- Feels fancy enough for guests but doable on a weeknight
- You can use whatever seafood you have or like
- One dish meal that’s complete and satisfying
Plus this works for people who claim pie crust is “too much work.” Drop biscuits require no rolling, no chilling, no careful handling. You literally just stir ingredients and drop spoonfuls on top. If you can make muffins, you can make this :/
What You Need for Cheddar Bay Biscuit Seafood Pot Pie
For the Seafood Filling
Seafood Mix:
- Shrimp (1 lb – peeled, deveined, cut into chunks)
- White fish (8 oz – cod, halibut, or haddock, cut into chunks)
- Bay scallops (8 oz – optional but nice)
- Or use 2 lbs total of whatever seafood you prefer
Vegetables:
- Butter (4 tablespoons)
- Onion (1 medium – diced)
- Celery (2 stalks – diced)
- Carrots (2 medium – diced)
- Garlic (4 cloves – minced)
- Frozen peas (1 cup)
Sauce:
- All-purpose flour (¼ cup)
- White wine (½ cup – or use more broth)
- Seafood or chicken broth (2 cups)
- Heavy cream (1 cup)
- Fresh thyme (1 teaspoon)
- Old Bay seasoning (1 teaspoon)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Lemon juice (2 tablespoons)
Why this combo works: The cream and broth create rich sauce without being too heavy. Old Bay is classic seafood seasoning. Lemon brightens everything at the end. Wine adds depth but skip it if you want.
For the Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Dry Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour (2 cups)
- Baking powder (1 tablespoon)
- Sugar (1 tablespoon)
- Garlic powder (1 teaspoon)
- Salt (½ teaspoon)
- Cayenne pepper (¼ teaspoon – just a hint)
Wet Ingredients:
- Buttermilk (1 cup – or milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar)
- Melted butter (½ cup)
- Sharp cheddar cheese (1½ cups shredded)
Garlic Butter Topping:
- Melted butter (3 tablespoons)
- Garlic powder (½ teaspoon)
- Dried parsley (1 teaspoon)
This is basically the Red Lobster copycat recipe everyone uses. It works.
Equipment You Actually Need
- Large oven-safe skillet or 9×13 baking dish
- Large pot or deep skillet for filling
- Mixing bowls for biscuits
- Wooden spoon
- Large spoon for dropping biscuits
How to Make This Seafood Pot Pie
Step 1: Make the Seafood Filling
Melt butter in a large deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to coat everything. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly – this removes the raw flour taste.
Slowly pour in white wine, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Let it bubble for a minute. Then add broth, still stirring. Bring to a simmer.
Add heavy cream, thyme, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Let sauce simmer and thicken for 5 minutes.
Add seafood and peas. Cook just until shrimp turns pink and fish is opaque – about 3-4 minutes. Don’t overcook – seafood will cook more in the oven.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. The filling should be slightly thicker than soup but not paste-like.
If using oven-safe skillet, keep filling in it. Otherwise transfer to a 9×13 baking dish.
Step 2: Make the Biscuit Topping
Preheat oven to 425°F while you mix biscuits.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl.
In another bowl, mix buttermilk and melted butter. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in shredded cheddar.
The dough will be wet and shaggy – this is correct. Don’t overmix or biscuits will be tough.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake
Drop large spoonfuls of biscuit dough on top of the seafood filling. You should get 8-10 biscuits depending on size. They don’t need to cover every inch – gaps are fine, filling will bubble up between them.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through. The filling should be bubbling around the edges.
Step 4: Add Garlic Butter
While pot pie bakes, mix melted butter with garlic powder and parsley for the topping.
When pot pie comes out of oven, immediately brush garlic butter over the biscuits. This is what makes them taste like Red Lobster biscuits – don’t skip it.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The filling will be volcanic hot so this cooling period is necessary.
Serve in bowls, making sure everyone gets biscuits and filling. This cheddar bay biscuit seafood pot pie is a complete meal – you don’t need anything else except maybe a simple salad.
Creative Variations Worth Trying
Cajun Seafood Pot Pie
Use Cajun seasoning instead of Old Bay. Add diced andouille sausage to filling. Spicy, smoky, Southern-style version.
Lobster Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits
Use lobster meat instead of shrimp and fish. More expensive but absolutely worth it for special occasions. Ultimate luxury comfort food.
Salmon and Dill Pot Pie
Use salmon chunks. Add fresh dill to filling and biscuits. Different flavor profile but still delicious.
Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits
Replace seafood with chicken if you’re not into seafood. Add mushrooms. Still uses the amazing biscuit topping which is the real star anyway.
Shrimp and Corn Pot Pie
Skip the fish, use all shrimp. Add corn to filling. More summery, lighter version.
Smoked Haddock Pot Pie
Use smoked haddock for deeper flavor. Skip the Old Bay since fish is already seasoned. British-inspired version.
Cheddar Bay Biscuit Seafood Pot Pie
Equipment
- large oven-safe skillet or 9×13 baking dish
- large pot or deep skillet for filling
- Mixing bowls for biscuit dough
- Wooden spoon
- large spoon or scoop for dropping biscuit dough
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and chopped
- 8 oz white fish (cod, halibut, or haddock), chopped
- 8 oz bay scallops (optional)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup white wine (or more broth)
- 2 cups seafood or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (for biscuits)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar)
- 0.5 cup melted butter (for biscuit dough)
- 1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 tbsp melted butter (for topping)
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder (for topping)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Melt butter in large skillet. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook 5–7 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to coat. Cook 2 minutes. Pour in white wine, stir well, then add broth and bring to simmer.
- Add cream, thyme, Old Bay, salt, pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add seafood and peas. Cook just until shrimp turns pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and taste. Transfer to baking dish if needed.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, whisk dry biscuit ingredients. In another bowl, mix buttermilk and butter. Combine with dry mix and fold in cheddar. Dough will be thick and shaggy.
- Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough over filling. Bake 20–25 minutes until biscuits are golden and filling is bubbling.
- Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush over hot biscuits right out of oven. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
My filling is too thick – how do I fix it?
Add more broth or cream to thin it out. The filling should be loose enough to flow slightly when you spoon it – not stiff like mashed potatoes.
The biscuits sank into the filling instead of staying on top – why?
Your filling was too thin or too hot when you added biscuits. Let filling cool for 5 minutes before adding biscuit dough. And make sure filling is thick enough to support biscuits.
Can I make this cheddar bay biscuit seafood pot pie ahead?
Make filling ahead and refrigerate. Make biscuit dough when ready to bake – it doesn’t sit well. Assemble cold filling with fresh biscuits and bake. Add 5-10 minutes to baking time.
My seafood is overcooked and rubbery – what happened?
You cooked it too long before baking, then it cooked more in the oven. Cook seafood just until barely done – it continues cooking during baking. Shrimp should be barely pink when you put it in oven.
Can I use frozen seafood?
Yes, thaw completely and pat very dry before adding. Frozen seafood releases water which can make filling too thin. Drain any excess liquid before adding to sauce.
The biscuits are pale and not browning – help?
Your oven isn’t hot enough or you need to bake longer. Make sure oven is fully preheated to 425°F. You can also brush with butter halfway through to encourage browning.
