Cathead vs Drop Biscuits

You’ll hear them side by side, especially when people explain what’s on the table:

• "Mama’s makin’ cathead biscuits - big as a fist."
• "Ain’t got time to roll dough, so I’ll just make drop biscuits."
• "They’re both biscuits, but one fills you up, the other’s quick."

Cathead biscuits are the big'uns - hand-shaped, soft and fluffy inside, often baked in a skillet. They’re called "cathead" because they’re about the size of one. One biscuit can near fill you up, and they’re a staple of mountain breakfasts.

Drop biscuits are the quick fix - made from a wetter dough you drop by spoonfuls straight on the pan. They bake up craggy and soft, without the rolling and cutting. Perfect when you want biscuits fast, but don’t need them fancy.

Both feed hungry bellies, but they ain’t the same:

• Cathead: Big, hand-shaped, fluffy, skillet-baked.
• Drop: Small, spoon-dropped, rustic, quick to bake.

Think of catheads as the Sunday best, and drop biscuits as the everyday work clothes.