Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy has to be my all time favorite breakfast! Mom would usually make a big breakfast on Sunday morning. It would always include biscuits and sausage or bacon gravy. When she fried the bacon, she would brush the tops of the biscuits with the rendered bacon fat.

This is how I've been making sausage gravy for years. Lately my daughter has been requesting biscuits and gravy for dinner. I took the time to show her how to make it herself. She was surprised at how quickly and easily it came together.

I prefer to use Jimmy Dean original sausage. It hardly has any fat, so I add a little olive oil with the meat and fry until browned.

Flour is stirred in and cooked for just a minute or so, to cook out the flour taste.

Then milk is stirred in. You have plenty of options on what type of milk to use: canned evaporated milk, non fat milk, whole milk, half & half or cream are some of the different types I have used and had success with. Today I used whole milk.

To avoid lumpy gravy, make sure you stir the milk into the flour mixture well. Then keep stirring occasionally, to prevent sticking.

When the gravy becomes thick and bubbly is when I stir in the spices. I stick with salt and pepper, but I've tried sage sausage gravy and that is pretty good.

For the biscuits I just make what mom always made, Bisquick Drop Biscuits. They are easy to make and go great with gravy.

SAUSAGE GRAVY

INGREDIENTS:
8 Ounces Jimmy Dean original sausage
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
4 Cups whole milk
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Crumble sausage and brown, until cooked through. Add flour to sausage and stir into meat, using the back of a spatula. Cook flour for a minute or so. Pour milk into flour mixture, stirring well. Keep stirring, with the back of the spatula, making sure to keep the gravy from scorching to the pan. (Using a spatula scrapes the bottom of the skillet, better than a whisk, which prevents scorching.) Cook for a few minutes, or until gravy thickens and starts to bubble. Turn off the heat. Serve over biscuits. Makes 5 cups gravy.


BISQUICK DROP BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 Cups Bisquick baking mix
2/3 Cup milk - or - water
Butter, for brushing the tops

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 450. Stir ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Makes 8 biscuits.