Prep
Cook
Serves
5 mins.
12 mins.
4
Growing up, one of my friend’s mother made the best biscuits and gravy. My family members also made good biscuits and gravy, but her gravy was so rich and the flavor was different than my mom’s and grandmother’s gravy. I didn’t know at the time that the small red and white carton she used wasn’t filled with milk, but instead had delicious heavy cream in it. I always looked forward to sleeping over at my friend’s house and waking up to the smell of the biscuits and sausage gravy that her mom had cooked in her electric skillet. As we planned our weekend sleepovers, I was like Donkey from the movie Shrek, “Can I stay with you?”
I’ve tried throughout the years to replicate her gravy, and although mine still isn’t the exact same, it’s pretty close and keeps my husband, a sausage gravy fanatic, happy. I usually make this recipe once a month while my homemade biscuits are baking away in the oven. If you live at a high altitude try my recipe for high altitude homemade biscuits. I serve the biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs and fruit salad to round out our meal.
This recipe can be changed up to use a less spicy sausage, or you could even leave the sausage out for a vegetarian milk gravy. If you do leave out the meat then you will need to add 2 Tbsp. of butter or vegetable oil to your skillet since you won’t have the fat from the cooked sausage. I also recommend adding 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper for extra flavor if you’re going with a vegetarian gravy.
I hope that you’ll try this gravy recipe today and leave a comment below. Also, follow @lifeabovethecafe on Instagram for daily updates!
In a non stick skillet over medium high heat scramble and cook the sausage until cooked through, breaking it up into smaller pieces as you go.
Once the sausage is no longer pink, sprinkle the 2 Tbsp. of flour over the top and mix it in. Allow the flour to toast for 1 – 2 minutes to remove the raw flour flavor.
Slowly add in the heavy cream, whisking constantly as you stir it in. Next add in the milk and continue to whisk.
As the gravy thickens and continues to cook, add the salt, pepper, and optional additional pepper flakes if using a mild sausage or if making this a vegetarian gravy.
The gravy needs to come to a low boil to completely thicken. As my gravy thickens I turn the heat down to low and stir it often. Taste the gravy and adjust the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed. My recommendation is to start out with less add more if needed since you can’t remove the salt/spicy flavor after it’s there.
Once the gravy thickens to the desired consistency serve it over fresh from the oven biscuits.
I like a semi thick gravy that coats a spoon but isn’t too thick. A test is is to drag your finger down the middle of the back of the spoon and if it leaves a clean streak with gravy on either side, then it’s a good consistency. If my gravy thickens too much I add a little more milk, or water to thin it out (1 Tbsp. at a time). To reheat the leftover gravy (if there is any) you may need to thin it out with extra milk or water since it will thicken up like wallpaper paste as it chills in the refrigerator.
Note* if you are not using sausage you will need to melt 2 Tbsp. of butter or warm 2 Tbsp. of oil in your skillet and then whisk in the flour to make a roux that will thicken the heavy cream and milk. Make sure to cook the butter (or oil)/flour mixture, constantly whisking, for 1-2 minutes until it smells nutty and the flour no longer has a raw flavor.
