The first question my children would ask me when they got home from school was, of course, “What’s for dinner?” And some answers were met with more enthusiasm than others. For instance, they all ate spaghetti like they really enjoyed it but it never got that great first reaction that makes a mother’s heart swell. The one answer that always, without fail, every time, got the reaction I was looking for was sausage gravy and biscuits.
They would cheer, they would smile, they would do any chore I wanted before dinner without talking back. It was magical what sausage gravy would do. My husband reacted the same way. If I had a task that needed to be done, I would strategically wait until sausage gravy day and ask for it right before dinner.
Everybody was happy when they learned sausage gravy and biscuits was on the menu. I made it for overnight school friends and then gave the recipe to their parents when their kids went home and reported that they needed to make it for breakfast. (To this day, I see those parents and they say they’re still making it routinely.) This is comfort food at its best and for my family, it just feels like home.
My family would say sausage gravy is best served over a biscuit, which may be true, but I love it over eggs, or, when garden tomatoes are in season, it’s wonderful over a salted slice of tomato.
The Sausage Gravy and Biscuit Table
I decided to do this as part of a series, “The Sausage Gravy and Biscuit Table,” because I feel like the side dishes I serve with this meal are so important to the whole experience. Eventually, I’ll post about my favorite fresh mill flour biscuits, as well as fried apples. I also hope to show you how I make my own freezer jams, how I freeze peaches to taste freshly picked and how we make our own grape juice as a perfect breakfast drink with gravy and biscuits. Some of the recipes will come as we are doing them in the summer months, so make sure to sign up for our email now so you don’t miss a thing. Now having said that, there have been many times when we have just eaten gravy and biscuits and that’s just fine too.
Sausage Gravy
Tips on the Ingredients for the Sausage Gravy
I typically use Bob Evans original ground breakfast sausage, but I’ve used many different brands as well as homemade sausage, and they’re all very good. So whatever kind of breakfast sausage you have will work. I use two percent or whole milk for my gravy. You can use skim milk, but you will have to add more flour to thicken it. I would just rather have more milk fat than more flour. That’s just me, but either way will work.
Browning your flour–the key to flavor
Having four daughters and a son who love to make sausage gravy, I have had many phone calls involving troubleshooting. They will say, “It just doesn’t taste quite like yours.” Ultimately, it usually comes down to not browning the flour long enough, or not adding enough pepper.
First, you brown your sausage until it is no longer pink. Then, you add oil. Create a roux (a mixture of flour and fat which will become the thickening agent for our gravy) by adding flour and allowing it to brown. Stir frequently, but not continuously, as we want to allow the flour to brown on the bottom of the pan. Be patient! It usually takes about ten minutes to get to that golden brown I’m shooting for.
Browning the flour is where the complex nutty flavor comes from. Some bakers even brown their flour before using it in baked goods to add a deeper flavor. As you continue to watch your sausage, you will start to see a golden, crispy layer around your sausage as well as a layer on the bottom of the pan.
Getting your gravy to the right thickness
Some people like a thick gravy that sits on top of the biscuit, while others like a gravy that soaks in a little. But no one wants a gravy that is runny. The key is letting your gravy get good and hot and bubbly and simmer for about 5 min. This allows the roux to become activated and do its job of thickening. If you decide the gravy is too thick, add a little milk to thin it out, and use less flour the next time. If it’s too thin, add more flour the next time.
Once your sausage has become golden brown from your beautifully browned flour, you can add in the milk. This is when I first season my gravy. Sprinkle on your salt and pepper and give the mixture a good stir. Cook on medium heat until the gravy is really bubbling and allow it to simmer for five minutes until good and thick.
Pair with Delicious Biscuits!
Enjoy!
As I mentioned this gravy is great on so many things. Our family favorite is over a crumbled drop biscuit. But it is also exceptional over a fried egg, fresh garden tomato or mixed with some fried apples. Let us know how yours turns out in the comments below!
From Scratch Sausage Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- One pound ground breakfast sausage
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper I use more, you cannot over pepper sausage gravy, in my opinion
Instructions
- In large saucepan or cast iron skillet, brown sausage on medium heat.
- Stir in oil. Then add flour and stir frequently over medium heat to allow flour to brown. This will take time, be patient, this is where flavor develops. I usually let it cook at least ten minutes. (You might be afraid your flour is sticking to the bottom of the pan—it’s okay, just keep stirring and all will be well when you add the milk.)
- Once flour is browned, add milk, salt and pepper, and continue to stir until thick and bubbly.
- Turn to low heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat, finish seasoning to taste and you’re ready to go.
Video
It’s me, Kim! As a mother of five, now grown children, I have cooked my fair share of dinners and desserts, and have learned a few things along the way. I hope to share what I can with you. Enjoy and I hope this recipe brings joy to you and your family!
4 responses to “Simple, From Scratch Sausage Gravy Recipe”
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[…] I’ve learned the most from time spent watching my mom fix dinners from scratch, or calling her up at 3:00 because I had planned a meal I had no idea how to make! She has inspired […]
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[…] is the next part in our Sausage Gravy and Biscuit Table series. This series also includes our “Feels like Home” Sausage Gravy and our Jaw Dropping Drop Biscuits. Salty and sweet is a timeless flavor combo and never seems to […]
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[…] a with your immediate family, this meal always seems to achieve that. We have a great recipe for Sausage Gravy, Drop Biscuits and (to complete the table), Fried […]
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