How To Elevate Canned Sausage Gravy With Just One Addition

Sausage gravy spooned on top of freshly baked biscuits is a breakfast delicacy, especially in the southern United States. No matter where you reside, you might make homemade biscuits and gravy for a decadent breakfast, or perhaps you make it easier on yourself and go for canned sausage gravy instead. There are many brands on the grocery store shelves, but you might want to upgrade the canned gravy with crumbled pork sausage before you call everyone to breakfast.

Canned sausage gravy will obviously already have pieces of sausage, but the flavor of those chunks doesn't compare to freshly cooked pork sausage. The fresh sausage will offer a dose of umami, smokiness, flavor from the spices and herbs, and perhaps a subtle sweetness depending on the type you cook. Some fats and juices will seep into the pan when you cook the sausage — but don't waste it. Add that sausage grease to the canned gravy and your tastebuds will be tantalized further, similar to how you might use rendered bacon grease to upgrade dishes like cornbread.

There's a little prep work required to incorporate pork sausage into gravy, just like many other ingredients you might use to upgrade sausage gravy. You'll obviously want to cook the sausage on the stovetop first, then crumble it into smaller pieces. There are no rules when it comes to making your own breakfast, so use as little or as much sausage as you want to get the most texture and flavor. After it's cooked, add the canned gravy directly to the pan and heat until it bubbles. If you don't want to use all of the sausage and its flavor-packed grease, heat the canned gravy in another pan and add the crumbled sausage until you reach your desired consistency.

Regarding the sausage itself, there are many options that will work for this upgrade. We suggest pork because that's likely the type of protein used in the canned gravy, so it'll match the flavor profiles. Breakfast sausage patties are probably the easiest to use, but certainly not the only option. Use hot Italian sausage if you like spicy gravy or sweet Italian sausage or maple patties for a touch of sweetness. Just don't forget to remove the sausage from the casings for this gravy upgrade if the variety you chose has them.

If you want to easily turn this upgraded canned sausage gravy into a complete meal with canned biscuits, check out Tasting Table's ranking of canned biscuit brands.