Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Content… Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Heaven Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions What to Serve More Southern Comfort Food Recipes to Try

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Heaven

They smell sooo heavenly, transporting me to a bed of fluffy clouds, reveling in the gorgeous, enticing color. You’ll love it even more at your first bite. But when you smother it in a creamy, spicy, meaty sausage gravy – darn it, you just won the JACKPOT!!

Cut the biscuits in half or leave them whole and drown them in sausage with gravy. No matter how you eat it, you’ll be eating more than you thought you could. I love my version of gravy packed with sausage with a subtle kick from cayenne pepper and Creole seasoning.

Food for the soul, for sure! I can’t even begin to describe how amazing the flavors are, but all I know is that we literally tore this one down.

Recipe Ingredients

Biscuits

1. All-Purpose Flour – I used White Lily flour for beautiful, soft, fluffy biscuits that melt in your mouth. Yum! It’s a good thing I can write with my mouth full.
2. Leavening Agents – Baking powder and soda react with acidity for quick bread, cakes, and cookies to get a good rise.
3. Sugar is a flavor enhancer, but you can leave it out.
4. Butter provides the fat that gives moisture and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
5. Buttermilk delivers the acidity that reacts with baking soda for a beautiful rise. If you don’t have buttermilk, no worries. Just mix 2½ tablespoons of white vinegar into 2⅓ cups of whole milk, and you’re good to go.

Sausage Gravy

1. Pork Breakfast Sausage is the star ingredient, and I loaded it with more delicious sausage than the average gravy. You can use your favorite breakfast, spicy, or Southern-style sausage.
2. Roux – Butter and flour make an incredible roux because they toast well together for a beautiful nutty flavor.
3. Milk is the base liquid for white gravy. It adds richness and a satisfying mouthfeel, but you can use beef broth for a dairy-free brown gravy.
4. Seasonings – Thyme, Creole seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper pack your gravy with decadence.

How to Make Homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

The Biscuits

• Grate frozen butter into a bowl with the flour in a large mixing bowl, and stir well for even distribution. Or cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs; this might take about 5 minutes. (Photos 1-3)
• Mix Dough: Make a well in the center of the bowl, add buttermilk, and stir until it forms a rough ball; please don’t overmix. Let it rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes. (Photo 4)
• Knead: Turn the dough out onto a floured board or surface; then knead 3-4 times, just enough for it to come together. Gently pat dough to ½ inch thick. (Photo 5)
• Fold the dough, repeating the folding process 6-8 times to ensure flakiness. After folding, gently press the dough to 1-inch thickness. (Photo 6)
• Cut the biscuits out with a 2-inch round glass or cookie cutter. Space them out evenly on your prepared baking sheet. (Photo 7)
• Bake: Brush the biscuits with cream. Then bake at 400℉ (205℃) for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. (Photo 8)

Sausage Gravy Recipe

• Cook Sausage: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add breakfast sausage, Creole seasoning, thyme, and paprika. Break the sausage into chunks with a wooden spoon, and cook it while stirring until the meat browns and cooks through. Transfer the sausage to a plate. (Photos 9-10)
• Make Roux: Add butter to the hot skillet. As soon as it melts, whisk in the flour and continue whisking until thoroughly combined. Cook for about a minute to eliminate the flour taste. (Photos 11-12)
• Add Base: Slowly add the milk a little at a time; you don’t want any lumps. Bring the gravy to a low boil, then turn down the heat to medium and simmer gently until thickened into a cream sauce (6-8 minutes). (Photo 13)
• Assemble – Stir in the sausage, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat (the gravy will continue to thicken as it sits). (Photo 14)
• Serve immediately. Split the biscuits in half crosswise and top with the sausage gravy.

Recipe Variations

1. Sausage swap. You can use almost any style: turkey sausage, Italian sausage, bacon, ham, or any other cured meat for that matter. Using corned beef will give you something similar to hash. 😉
2. Butter is best, but it’s not always in the fridge. Olive oil or another neutral-flavored oil will work.
3. Flour is a hard one to replace in a good roux. However, an all-purpose gluten-free mix works in a pinch.
4. Milk swap. Replace the milk with half-and-half or cream thinned slightly with a little broth or water. Unsweetened almond, oat, or soy milk will work for a dairy-free version.
5. Biscuit swap. I have a ton of biscuit recipes to experiment with.

Tips & Tricks

1. To make your own breakfast sausage, mix the following with a pound of ground pork: ½ teaspoon sage, ½ teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, ½ tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, ½ red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt to taste.
2. Save the grease from cooking sausage because it’s pure gold for frying other foods.
3. You can also serve this for dinner if you’re not into breakfast.
4. Lumpy gravy? No worries because it’s nothing an immersion or regular blender can’t fix. Puree it with your blender, and no one will have to know.😉

Make-Ahead Instructions

Keep the sausage gravy and biscuits separate if making them ahead. They’ll last a day or two in the fridge or a month or two in the freezer.

Wrap the biscuits in foil and heat them in a 350℉/175℃ oven for 6-10 minutes. The microwave is less than ideal because it toughens bread. While the biscuits are heating, warm the gravy in a saucepan over medium-low heat, occasionally stirring until bubbly. Put your biscuits on a plate and pour the heated gravy over them.

What Goes With Sausage Biscuits and Gravy

Eggs and grits are my first choice. But a refreshing glass of pineapple or carrot juice is always welcome. And a pumpkin spice latte for the coffee lover or a chai tea latte for the rest is pure yum.

More Southern Comfort Food Recipes to Try

1. Southern Mac & Cheese
2. Cajun Shrimp & Grits
3. Southern Baked Beans
4. Chicken Pot Pie
5. Pecan Pie

This blog post was originally published in February 2018 and has been updated with additional tips and new photos