About Homestyle Sausage Gravy
Last week I posted about buttermilk biscuits, and now here comes the follow up:
Homemade sausage gravy!
This is another breakfast food that The Husband had to introduce me to in the first few years we dated, and I’m so glad he did – it’s become both my ultimate comfort food and the best way to start a lazy Sunday.
Or any lazy day.
… Which, of course, I try to have as many of as I can.
Today is certainly a lazy day for me – or, more accurately, this whole weekend was lazy. We did most of our July 4th celebrating on Friday, but nothing wears me out quite like alcohol and hot, humid weather, both of which made up about 93% of our Independence Day celebrations.
I can handle a little bit of heat or a little bit of drinking on their own, but together, they are my kryptonite. It drains my energy and takes me days to recover, which means I’ll only have begun to start feeling like myself again come Tuesday morning.
But it was totally worth the cost (fun, friends, and seeing how happy The Boyfriend was to watch things explode) and most definitely worth the reward: I had the perfect excuse to make some gravy and biscuits.
Nothing cures a “good day hangover” more than delicious comfort food, amirite?
I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, and if you’re feeling worn out like me, take my advice: whip up a biscuits and gravy recipe, curl up on the couch, and binge watch Netflix for a few hours.
You’ll feel better in no time.
What kind of sausage should you use?
To make this part easier, I tend to use store-bought breakfast sausage rolls.
And besides, this is a great way to add an extra dose of flavor to your gravy, too, because you could spring for a flavored breakfast sausage.
I know, I know, this point is kinda obvious, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in cooking that we overcomplicate things and look to flavor everything from scratch. Which isn’t a bad thing, of course, but I think we can all agree that a little less effort in the morning is a good thing.
So feel free to have fun with it! There are plenty of delicious flavors of sausage – maple and spicy, just to name a few – that would work great with this recipe!
Can sausage gravy be frozen?
Yes! You can totally freeze this gravy, but I should warn you: gravy tends to taste best on the day it’s made.
To freeze: Allow the gravy to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer bag or sealable container. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
When ready to serve, let gravy thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then heat up in the microwave on in a saucepan on the stove.
notes & tips about this homemade sausage gravy
- You might have noticed that this recipe is really simple, and that’s the point – it’s supposed to be a base recipe for sausage gravy. So while I personally think this recipe is delicious on its own, if you’re the type that likes to add your own personal touch to a dish, then feel free – this is the ideal recipe to experiment with!
- If you’re looking for suggestions on how to jazz up this gravy, check the comment section of this page – there’s a ton of great ideas from other readers like you!
More great breakfast recipes
How to make sausage gravy
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a large skillet, cook and crumble a breakfast sausage of your choice. Once cooked, drain the excess grease, reserving a small amount.
Step 2 – Add cooked sausage back to skillet, including a small amount of the reserved grease. Also toss in the butter and Worcestershire sauce, then allow to cook, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted.
Step 3 – Dust the sausage with flour, then use a spatula to toss and coat the sausage. Continue to cook the sausage, stirring frequently, until the flour has absorbed most of the liquid, about three to six minutes.
Step 4 – Pour the milk into the skillet, then bring to a boil. Continue to cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until the consistency is thick and creamy.
Step 5 – Serve and enjoy!
Watch the recipe video
Recipe Details
Homestyle Sausage Gravy
Get your comfort food fix with this base recipe for classic sausage gravy. Perfect for a lazy morning and ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage over medium heat. Once cooked, drain sausage, but reserve 1 tablespoon of sausage grease and return it to the skillet. Discard any excess grease.
Add butter and worcestershire sauce to skillet with sausage heat until butter is melted, stirring frequently.
Dust sausage with flour and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is coated and most of the liquids have been absorbed, about 3-6 minutes.
Pour milk into the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for another 5-10 minutes or until gravy thickens to desired consistency.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Self Proclaimed Foodie.
I use milk and a little whipping cream and also use brown gravy mix adds awesome flavor
How much brown gravy do you use
I use a couple tablespoons butter after draining the excess grease. Then use evaporated milk instead of milk. Also make sure that the flour in the roue is well cooked. When the roue is a little darker it adds depth to the gravy. I will add some milk later if I need to thin the gravy. Black pepper of course and a little cayenne or nutmeg
is nice. Some dried onion works too. Then if your looking for the Bob Evans darker gravy a couple drops of Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master works great.
Basically the recipe Ive used gor years but for the best flavor, dont just cook the sausage, brown it. Young people Ive mentored dont seem to understand that more flavor is developed in brown meat, not just cooking unti done and gray colored.
Exactly. The flavor really shines when you darken that sausage
I use the same recipe except, I use Cavender’s Greek Seasoning & no butter. It’s the BEST gravy ever. 🙂 Lucy S.
How many serving does it make?
I like a little jelly on my. I use strawberry jelly.
I reserve bacon drippings to make my roue and add sausage only if I want meat in it. I add the flour to the hot grease and stir continuously until brown, then slowly add milk, salt and pepper. I add browned sausage at end if needed.
Just tried this….my hubs is a fan of biscuits ‘n gravy. I added sweet curry, garam masala, and garlic powder. A keeper, says hubs.
I use can milk and a little sugar in the gravy, makes it very creamy!
I make my gravy basically the same but I drain the grease then add only the grease back into the pan with flour, brown the flour first then add whole milk till it thickens. Then I add the sausage into the gravy. I believe the grease only makes the gravy more savory.
That’s how I do mine. I use HOT sage breakfast sausage…..it’s MY favorite.
I would cook and brown the sausage first (recommend Jimmy Dean’s Hot Sausage (less grease). Remove from skillet and put aside. Now time to make the gravy: Add the butter, flour and grease if needed. Stir well continuously while it starts to brown the roux which is used to thicken sauces, gravy, soups and stews. Once the roux is smooth and a darker color, add the Worcestershire and milk and stir to make sure of a smooth gravy. Add the browed and cooked sausage back to the skillet. Cook for perhaps 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve immediately over biscuits.
Yep…..pretty much same as mine!
I’ve never heard of adding Worcestershire to sausage gravy. I can’t wait to try this.
I learned a trick years ago from a restaurant we took my Mom to when she was in her wheelchair. We all ordered the biscuits and gravy and it was just exceptionally good. So I asked our waitress what the secret was and she told me Parmesan cheese! You have to use the can kind (saw dust) as I call it NOT freshly grated! Not only does it act as a thickener it is delicious! I don’t measure I just dump in a lot! I pretty much do my recipe as everyone else on here but I add the parm towards the end of cooking. You might need to adjust it with a little more milk. I always used the hot spicy Bob Evans sausage. I’ll swear by this recipe, it’s SO TASTY! Enjoy!
No flour, just the “saw dust”?
I think she makes it exactly the same as everyone else but then at the end after adding milk, add the parm.cheese. Then cook a little longer and might need to add milk to make your consistency. *****
I made this and it sooooooooo good!!!!!
Try it with Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage you will never go back.
That’s what I use! It took me 25 years to perfect my gravy. I do everything the same except the werst…sauce. (I can’t spell it). Lol.
That’s what I use…..I love HOT and SAGE – Jimmy Dean!
I brown onions in bacon grease then add to sausage follow same recipe throw crumbled bacon at the end! It’s awesome
I use ground pork and season it myself with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, worcestershire sauce and mustard. This is leaner than sausage but with good flavor.
I make my sausage gravy with Bob Evans sage sausage love the flavor.
A little Garlic Powder and Poultry Seasoning is awesome.