Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour (for biscuits)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt (for biscuits)
• 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
• 0.5 cup butter (frozen)
• 0.75 cup whole milk (for biscuits)
• 1 lb pork breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean's)
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour (for gravy)
• 4 cup milk (2% or whole preferred)
• 0.5 tsp salt (for gravy)
• 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
• salt and pepper (additional to taste for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C).

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cream of tartar.

3. 3

   Use a cheese grater to grate the frozen butter into the bowl using the largest holes of your box grater, or use a pastry cutter to cut the butter in. Stir the butter into the flour mixture until it is broken up and the mixture is well combined.

4. 4

   Add 3/4 cup of whole milk and stir until just combined; be careful not to over-mix the dough.

5. 5

   Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it down until it is 3/4 inch thick. Cut into biscuits using a biscuit cutter.

6. 6

   Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until they are golden brown.

7. 7

   While the biscuits bake, place the pork sausage in a large cast iron or other large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

8. 8

   Cook the sausage until it is cooked through and no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into small chunks as it cooks. Do NOT drain the grease from the pan.

9. 9

   Use your spoon to spread the cooked sausage out into an even layer across the bottom of the pan.

10. 10

    Sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour over the top of the sausage and stir well to combine. Let the flour and sausage cook together for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

11. 11

    Slowly whisk the 4 cups of milk into the sausage and flour mixture. Continue whisking constantly to prevent the milk from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

12. 12

    Continue whisking until the gravy starts to simmer, which should take about 5 minutes.

13. 13

    Keep stirring and let the gravy cook at a low simmer for an additional 1-3 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness.

14. 14

    Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Serve the hot gravy over the warm biscuits with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

To stretch 1 pound of sausage to feed a larger crowd, add a few tablespoons of butter to the pan once the sausage is browned. Let it melt, then double the flour and milk quantities. You can use hot or maple sausage for different flavor profiles. If you don't have cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon of white vinegar can be used as a substitute.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• brunch
• comfort food
• southern
• main dish
• homemade
• sausage