Cream Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Eric and I typically spend Sunday morning making an involved breakfast. I’m not sure when it started, but it’s one of my favorite things we do together. Sure, we cook dinner together almost every night, but there’s something special about waking up late, staying in our pajamas and spending time in the kitchen first thing in the morning. When I was visiting my friend Annie over Labor Day weekend, her husband Ben told me about a comedian who has a skit about pancakes. I can’t remember the comedian’s name, but basically he talks about how you know you’ll be in your pajamas all day when you have pancakes for breakfast. That’s kind of how I feel about biscuits and gravy.
Sausage gravy, with its whopping three ingredient list, is simple, down home food. There’s nothing fancy about it, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. The biscuits we made, which don’t require cutting in butter or rolling dough, are also super simple. In terms of our Sunday breakfasts, this one wasn’t involved at all. I have a biscuit recipe that I adore, but these cream biscuits are wonderful when I’m feeling lazy or am in a hurry. They’re light, fluffy and can be shaped by hand. Of course, they’re wonderful on their own, but it’s hard to beat a biscuit that’s been smothered in smooth, peppery sausage gravy.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: about 4 servings
For the biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1½ cups heavy cream
For the gravy:
12 ounces bulk pork sausage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1
To make the biscuits, place oven rack in the upper-middle position and preheat oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in 1¼ cups of cream with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, leaving behind any flour left in the bottom of the bowl. Use the remaining ¼ cup of cream to moisten any flour left in the bowl and add to the dough. Gather into a ball and knead for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
- 2
Using your hands, shape the dough into a ¾-inch thick circle. Using a 2½-inch floured cutter, cut the biscuits into rounds and place on prepared baking sheet. Reshape the dough once to cut additional biscuits. If desired, the baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.
Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 15 minutes, making sure to rotate halfway through baking.
- 3
Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Heat a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk for about 1 minute. Continue whisking while slowly adding the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sausage and serve immediately over split biscuits.
Mmmm…..these look so good! Biscuits and gravy is my Cracker Barrel guilty pleasure. One of these days I’ll make them at home, but I’m also scared that I’ll want to make them all the time.
You just became my favorite person… I die for biscuits and sausage gravy! DIE. I’ve been wanting to make them at home but have been afraid they wouldn’t measure up. But yours look so fab, they have to be better than restaurant quality!
biscuits and gravy are a mainstay in our Saturday morning breakfast routines 🙂 i’m the biscuit maker, nick makes the gravy. So, so good, and the best way to start the weekend.
ps: have you ever made bacon gravy? holy yum.
I haven’t had biscuits and gravy in probably years, and that looks so so good to me right now. Definitely going to make it this fall!
I absolutely love biscuits and gravy. I’m sure my poor Northwestern husband has never had them. I should fix that. So glad you have a good time with Annie. I’m jealous!
One of our Sunday morning favorites as well. I’ve been lazy up to this point and used canned biscuits though. Can’t wait to try these!
I *love* biscuits and gravy but always feel guilty eating them because I imagine my arteries clogging. This recipe doesn’t seem too bad for you at all though…I will definitely try it!
who always has cream on hand? would evaporated (not condensed) milk work?
We do. I always have some for when the craving for homemade ice cream hits, but we also use it in sauces and soups. I’m sorry, but I’m not sure about that substitution. If you try it and it works out, I’d love to hear about it.
This recipe has our name written all over it! Biscuits and gravy are my husband, Jason’s, breakfast of choice and I have been wanting to learn how to make homemade biscuits (and procrastinating) since making them on a campfire when I worked as a camp counselor at Conner Prarie, an interactive history park in my hometown (Fishers, IN). It was wonderful to meet you at breakfast with Annie and Shanon Labor Day weekend, Courtney! I’m excited to follow your blog and wish you the best of luck!
I want this right now, they look amazing. mmmmm breakfast is now on the brain.
Laura @ A Healthy Jalapeño
I love a homemade weekend breakfast. Biscuits and gravy sounds fantastic for this coming weekend.
Oh yum! Can I sleep in late on Sunday and have you make these for me?
These look delicious! I’ve been craving biscuits and gravy and this looks fantastic!
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits…mmm… one of my favorite breakfasts! My husband and father in law got me hooked on them
These were so so so good. Thanks for the recipe! I blogged about it here: http://thefoodcharlatan.com/2013/01/28/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy/
Hey, I followed the sausage gravy exactly, and my sauce never thickened up. Do you know what I did wrong. I did seem like my sausage didn’t have a lot of grease left over. Could that be the problem? Thank You!
I’m sorry you had trouble. The lack of grease could be it, since you need fat + flour in order to make a roux, and the roux is what thickens the gravy.