Biscuits And Herbed Sausage Gravy Recipe

Biscuits and gravy — is there any breakfast entree more comforting or satisfying? If you like your breakfast on the sweeter side, then perhaps you're inclined to disagree, but for those who enjoy a savory dish, you really can't beat biscuits and gravy. In this rendition of the classic recipe, developer Jessica Morone adds an herby flair to the sausage gravy, which helps bring some freshness into an otherwise heavy and rich dish. Not only is there sage in the gravy itself, but you can top off the dish with fresh parsley, which also adds a nice pop of color.

Morone is a big fan of the iconic breakfast dish and says, "It is such a classic comfort food for a reason." This recipe features both from-scratch biscuits and gravy, but it really isn't too much more labor or time-intensive than if you were to use canned biscuits — and the results are definitely worth any extra elbow grease. "The biscuits are tender, but still sturdy enough to hold up to a lot of gravy, and the gravy itself is so mouthwateringly good," Morone describes. You really can't beat a homemade plate of biscuits and gravy, and even those with a sweet tooth will turn to the savory side after trying this recipe.

There are two components to this dish, and essentially two sets of ingredients that you'll need, with a little bit of overlap. For the biscuits, you'll need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cold butter, Greek yogurt, milk, and an egg. "For special ingredients I used Greek yogurt in the biscuits instead of something like buttermilk or milk, I prefer the flavor and how they turn out better," Morone says of the unusual addition.

As for the gravy, you'll need breakfast sausage, a bit more flour, milk, and salt, black pepper, sage, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and some nutmeg. "I also used nutmeg in the gravy to round out the flavor of the gravy better and crushed pepper to give it a little bit of extra flavor," says Morone. And, to add brightness and a final herbal touch to the dish, you can optionally garnish your plate with some chopped parsley.

For starters, get some preparatory tasks out of the way by preheating the oven to 450 F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Now, focus on making the biscuits. Whisk together 2 ½ cups of flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Then, add the cubed, cold butter to the mix. Use a fork, pastry cutter, or even your fingers to disperse the butter into the flour mixture. If you're using your fingers, you can use a pinching motion to help break down the butter, but work quickly so the butter doesn't get too warm. The mixture should resemble coarse sand after this step.

Now, grab a small bowl and whisk together the Greek yogurt, ¼ cup of milk, and the egg. Morone stresses the importance of avoiding room-temperature dairy products when making the biscuit dough and says, "For this recipe you want the butter, yogurt, and milk all to be cold." She goes on to explain, "This helps the biscuits to rise high, and be flaky rather than greasy." Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ones, then mix until you have a shaggy dough. Finally, use your hands to work the dough into a ball.

Lightly flour a clean work surface, then place the dough ball onto it. Using a rolling pin, which should also be lightly floured, roll out the dough until it is about ¾-inch thick. Then, using a 3-inch biscuit cutter (a cookie cutter would also work here, or the rim of a glass), cut biscuits out from the dough and place them onto the lined baking sheet. You want the biscuits to be touching.

When there is no more room to cut biscuits from the dough, form it back into a ball and roll it out again, then cut more biscuits. Keep repeating this process until you've used up all of the dough. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes or until they're nice and golden.

With the biscuits ready to go, you can turn your attention to the gravy. Place a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and add in the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. After 10 minutes, the sausage should be browned and cooked through. At that point, add in ¼ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, the pepper, sage, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg. Continue cooking while constantly stirring, allowing the meat to absorb the flour and seasonings.

Next up, slowly add in 2 ½ cups of milk, then bring the mixture to a boil. Cut the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, and keep it there for about 5 minutes, or until your gravy reaches that thick, well, gravy-like consistency. And, if it ends up a bit too thick, don't sweat it: "If you cook it until it gets too thick and you want it thinner, just add extra milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency," Morone advises. Give it a taste and add any extra seasoning as desired.

Place a halved biscuit on a plate and slather on that gravy, followed by some fresh parsley, if desired. While biscuits and gravy is a full (and filling) meal on its own, Morone does have some serving suggestions. "There are lots of things you can pair with biscuits and gravy, like eggs, potatoes or fruit," she says. "Any side dish you like will go with this."

In the event of leftovers, it's important to store biscuits and gravy separately. "You can keep the leftover gravy in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months, and the biscuits can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days and frozen up to 4 months," Morone says.