Our easy homemade Biscuits and Gravy Recipe is a faithful rendition of the classic Southern breakfast featuring creamy sausage gravy atop flaky, buttery biscuits. It’s a straightforward and gratifying dish.
This hearty dish is a Southern staple, much like Banana Pudding, Shrimp Boil, and Mississippi Pot Roast. While everyone claims their Grandma’s version is the best, we can all agree that it’s a delightful way to start your day.
Homemade Biscuits and Gravy Recipe
We don’t often dine out for breakfast, but when we do, I relish ordering biscuits and gravy – the ultimate breakfast comfort food. Now, I’ve perfected it at home!
This Biscuits and Gravy recipe, also known as Sawmill Gravy, relies on affordable, readily available ingredients like flour, butter, milk, and sausage from your local grocery store. Here’s why we adore it:
- Simple to prepare, suitable for beginners and seasoned chefs alike
- A crowd-pleaser loved by both adults and children
- A concise list of ingredients
- Can be made in advance for a quick meal
- Suitable for breakfast or dinner
- Easy to customize to your preferences
Classic Country Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Making homemade biscuits is a breeze, and they are exquisite when freshly baked – warm and flaky straight from the oven. With our Homemade Biscuits recipe, you can prepare the dough the night before and bake the biscuits while crafting the sausage gravy for a speedy 15-minute meal.
To create the dough, you’ll need a pastry blender to combine the butter with the flour, or you can pulse them together in a food processor. Once the ingredients are mixed, take care not to overmix.
Pro Tip
For the finest biscuits, ensure your butter and half-and-half are well chilled. You can create half-and-half by blending equal parts of milk and heavy cream. It may sound peculiar, but it works perfectly when the ingredients are measured correctly.
Ingredients
Our classic Biscuits and Gravy recipe remains faithful to traditional, budget-friendly ingredients:
- Homemade Biscuit Recipe – they are simpler to make than you think and undoubtedly the best option, but canned biscuits or Bisquick mixes can suffice in a pinch
- Butter – using unsalted allows you to control the saltiness; it prevents the sausage from sticking and adds richness to the gravy
- Sausage – Sausage brands vary greatly from sweet to spicy, so start with your preferred breakfast sausage, and feel free to explore different varieties
- Flour – all-purpose flour for thickening the sauce
- Milk – either low-fat or whole milk for the ideal texture
- Sea salt and pepper – these two seasonings provide the perfect flavor for the gravy; adjust to your taste
- Red Pepper Flakes – optional for those who enjoy a touch of heat
Did you know…
The distinction between Country gravy and Sausage gravy lies in the fat source used for making the gravy. Country gravy utilizes butter to form the roux, similar to how we prepare Chicken Pot Pie, while sausage gravy employs the fat rendered from cooking the meat to create the gravy.
Substitutions
Throughout the centuries, cooks have added their own twists to the classic recipe dating back to the late 1800s. Here are some variations to ignite your adventurous side:
- Sausage – Hot, mild, or maple sausages are popular choices. Some have even used ground beef, bacon, and chorizo!
- Spices – Sage is a favored addition, along with Thyme, rosemary, cayenne, or creole seasoning. Add them to the cooked sausage before incorporating the flour and milk.
- Vegetables – jalapeños for heat; mushrooms and caramelized onions can provide earthy depth to the gravy just before serving.
How to Make Biscuits and Gravy
Discover how simple it is to serve this homemade biscuits and sausage gravy recipe at your next breakfast gathering.
- Prepare the biscuits. Make the biscuit dough and bake following our easy homemade Biscuits Recipe. While the biscuits bake, begin making the gravy.
- Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the sausage. Once it’s cooked through, reduce the heat to medium, sprinkle flour over the meat, and stir constantly for 3 minutes or until the flour’s raw smell dissipates.
- Gradually add milk while stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired).
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens into a rich and creamy consistency. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve the gravy over a split biscuit – delicious!
