Description
Sausage gravy is a classic Southern breakfast staple made with browned ground sausage and a creamy, seasoned milk-based sauce. This rich and savory gravy, perfect for serving over biscuits or mashed potatoes, combines flavorful spices and optional butter for an indulgent, velvety finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage Mixture
- 1 lb. ground sausage
- 1/3 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons cold butter, optional
Liquids
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups half and half
Instructions
- Cook the sausage: Cook and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat until mostly browned with just a small amount of pink left. Reduce heat to low and let it finish cooking to render additional drippings.
- Add the flour: Sprinkle flour over the sausage and stir to incorporate evenly. Increase heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell disappears.
- Incorporate liquids: Gradually add the half and half and milk a little at a time, stirring continuously. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and clean the bottom of the pan to mix up any browned bits.
- Add seasonings and boil: Stir in garlic salt, ground sage, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil for one minute, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer and thicken: Simmer the gravy while stirring gently and loosening any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Continue until the gravy reaches your desired thickness, then remove from heat.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste and add additional salt or pepper as preferred for flavor balance.
- Optional finishing butter: For a silky and velvety texture, melt 2 tablespoons of cold butter into the hot gravy just before serving. This technique, called monter au beurre, enriches the sauce.
Notes
- Use Jimmy Dean regular sausage for best flavor; commonly found near bacon and breakfast sausage.
- Whole milk or half and half can be used exclusively if preferred.
- Optional additions like sautéed onions or garlic can be cooked with the sausage for extra flavor.
- If gravy gets too thick, thin by adding a splash of milk, especially when reheating.
- Recipe yields approximately 36 ounces or about 4 ½ cups of gravy.
- Make ahead by storing cooled gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days; reheat on stovetop adding milk to adjust thickness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
