Homemade Cheddar Scone Sandos with Bacon

Adjust racks to top and middle positions and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. Place 4 TBSP butter (8 TBSP for 4 servings) in freezer. TIP: Don’t cut the butter into pieces! Keeping it whole will make it easier to grate in Step 3.Trim, peel, and cut carrots into sticks (like fries; ours were 3 inches long and ⅓ inch thick). Halve, peel, and cut onion into 1-inch-thick wedges.Toss carrots and onion on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until veggies are tender and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees (you’ll bake the scones at this temperature in Step 5).

Meanwhile, trim and thinly slice cucumber into rounds. Quarter lemon. Finely chop chives. Pick and finely chop fronds from dill.In a small bowl, combine cucumber, juice from half the lemon, a pinch of chives, a pinch of dill, and salt. Transfer to the refrigerator to pickle.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cheddar, baking powder, garlic powder, remaining chives, remaining dill, ½ tsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt (1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt for 4 servings). Stir to thoroughly combine.Remove butter from freezer and grate on the largest holes of a box grater directly over bowl with flour mixture. TIP: No grater? No problem! Finely dice your butter into large pea-size pieces, then transfer back to the freezer to chill for another 5-10 minutes before adding to the flour mixture.Using a spoon, gently toss until butter is evenly coated in flour mixture.

In a second small bowl, whisk together sour cream, ¼ cup + 1 TBSP water, and juice from one lemon wedge (½ cup + 2 TBSP water and two lemon wedges for 4 servings). Add sour cream mixture to bowl with flour mixture.Using a large spoon, stir until just incorporated, 8-10 times. TIP: Don’t worry if your dough is crumbly—it should be shaggy and a bit lumpy.Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Using your hands, shape into a 3-inch disk (two 3-inch disks for 4); wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes.

Once dough has chilled for 15 minutes, unwrap and transfer dough to a clean work surface. Using your hands, shape into a 5-inch disk (two 5-inch disks for 4 servings); cut into four equal wedges (you’ll have eight wedges for 4).Transfer scones to a second parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake on middle rack (be sure oven temperature has reduced to 375 degrees first!) until bottoms are golden brown and tops are lightly browned, 20-25 minutes.Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

While scones cool, in a third small bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard.Heat a medium dry pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon*; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Halve scones horizontally.Spread cut sides of scones with Dijonnaise. Fill scones with roasted veggies and as many quickles (draining first) as you like. Divide sandos between plates; serve with any remaining quickles on the side.Fill scones with bacon along with roasted veggies and quickles.