Ah yes, Sausage Gravy. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and you won’t get any disagreement from me about this. This is the meal that gives you the energy you need to make it through mornings that cvan sometime drag on forever. That being said, sometimes, you just have an hankering for an sloppy but hearty comfort dish, as the traditional dishes such as cereal, pancakes or waffles don’t quite always hit the spot. That is where Sausage Gravy comes in. A classic southern dish, it’s choke full of protein with a generous helping of creamy goodness to go along with it. In this post, I’m happy to share my recipe for this dish.
Key Ingredients for Sausage Gravy
This particular recipe for Beef Gravy is made with a roux, thus it includes some of your standard ingredients: Flour, Butter and Pork Sausage. That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is the use of Half & Half, Marjoram and White Pepper.
- Marjoram: A lot of folks would be surprised to know that both Marjoram and Oregano are herbs that share a number of smiliarities with each other. They both belong to the Origanum family and originate from the Mediterranean region of Northern Africa, Southern Europe and Western Asia. In fact, they’re often used interchangeably for dish or Greek / Italian / Mediterranean origin as well as in different types of gravy. What they both ultimately do is give dishess a woodsy, citrusy undertone. The main difference between the two for this Sausage Gravy recipe is while Oregano would give it a pungent note, Marjoram conversely tends to be much more delicate & mild, thus not overpowering the overall flavor profile in the sausage gravy.
- White Pepper vs. Black Pepper: Often, you’ll find that most Sausage Gravy recipes call for the use of black pepper as seasoning. There’s nothing inherently wrong with using black pepper in gravy, but for this recipe, I prefer instead to use White Pepper for a couple of different reasons. For one, white pepper tends to have a milder flavor profile than its black pepper counterpart, which helps to ensure it doesn’t overpower all of the other flavors in the gravy. But another reason I find white pepper to be superior for this recipe (and really, all sorts of sauces & gravy) is because it is more visually appealing than black pepper, as it blends in seamlessly and gives it a smooth texture.
- Half-and-Half: Most recipes call for using whole milk. The thing with whole milk is that it has water content upwards of 85% to 90%. This poses a couple differences in the Sausage Gravy. For one, half & half is essentially a combination of whole milk plus cream, and the cream helps to give the filling a more velvety texture. In addition, the relative lack of water in the half & half helps to give the filling a richer flavor with even a slight caramelized undertone, giving the gravy a somewhat more complex taste. For these reasons, I find using half & half vs. whole milk makes for a better gravy, which is what my recipe calls for.
And that’s all there is to it! Sausage Gravy pares well with all sorts of food. It is commonly enjoyed with side dishes such as biscuits, hash browns and even eggs. However, it can also be drizzled on top of food such as meatloaf, burgers, breakfast pizza, breakfast casserole and even chicken fried steak. By the time you finish reading this post, you will also be a pro at making this dish yourself and you’ll have your family & friends begging to make it all the time!
Tips for Making this Recipe
Gravy will continue to thicken as it cools. There are varying schools of thought when it comes to the right consistency for gravy. Famously, Chef Gordon Ramsay insists that gravy should be thin. However, there are other professionals who disagree with him. In my humble opinon, I think there’s a middle ground when it comes to gravy. It shouldn’t be as thick as paste, but it shouldn’t be thin to the point that it’s runny either. At the very least, the gravy should stick somewhat to the back of a spoon for optimal thickness. All of tht being said, just be mindful that you’re not cooking the Beef Gravy for too long, as it will continue to thicken while cooling.
Not all sausage is created equal. While you can certainly take some liberty with the type of pork sausage you choose to use for this recipe, for the best results, you do want to use susage that is both high in fatty and heavy on the sage, as the sausage alone will help to contribute quite a bit of flavor to the gravy aside from the added spices/herbs. Fattier sausage will also produce more of its own grease for frying and making the gravy versus a leaner sausage. If you were to ask a native southerner, they would swear by the brand Tennessee Pride. Jimmy Dean is also another popular brand that it commonly used for Sausage Gravy.
Use a cast iron skillet. Besides the fact that cast iron skillets do an excellent job at heat retention (thus avoiding a sudden drop in temperature when food is added), which ensures even heating for the gravy, the seasoned surface of the skillet also helps to contribute even more flavor to the Sausage Gravy as it cooks. The consistent high temperature with a cast iron skillet also given the sausage a nice sear as it is frying. What is also nice about cast iron skillets is even when you remove them from the heat, they will still stay hot for an extended period of time, which will help to keep the sausage gravy hot as well once it’s done cooking.
Serve with warm biscuits made from scratch. There is nothing inherently wrong with using canned biscuits or even the ready-made biscuits they sell in the freezer section at the grocery store if you have a busy schedule and are pressed for time. But it is surprisingly easy to make your own biscuits from scratch (and here are so many different ways you can do so). In my humble opinion, biscuits just don’t taste the same unless they’re made fresh. You’re welcome to check out my recipe for homemade biscuits as well, along with an accompanying instructional video, on my YouTube if you have never made your own biscuits from scratch. I promise you, it will be well worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my gravy is too thick? What if it’s too thin?
In the event your Sausage Gravy is too thick, you can simply add a splash of half-and-half or even water until it reaches your desired consistency. Just as well, if your sausage gravy is too thin, you would just allow it to simmer longer, allowing more time for the excess moisture to evaporate.
Can I substitute the Butter for Margarine for the Sausage Gravy?
I do understand that not everyone is able to eat dairy products and that butter is simply not an option for such individuals. In such cases, you *COULD* replace the butter with margarine, but with a couple of important caveats. For starters, while margarine and butter are both different type of fats that can be used in gravy, their fat composition is not entirely equal. Margarine tend to have virtually no water in it (thus it’s 100% fat), whereas Butter typically has a water content of 20-25% (depending on the brand).
The other caveat is that the use of cooking oils will change the flavor profile of the gravy. Seed oils (I.E. Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, etc.), are known to be neutral-tasting, meaning they have no flavor. So you will be losing the subtle nuttiness / sweetness in your Sausage Gravy that Butter offers.
All of that said, the short and sweet answer I can give you is I *DON’T* recommend it. For a more detailed answer, see above.
Can you freeze this Sausage Gravy? And if so, for how long?
You certainly can! Just be aware, there is the possibility that the ingredients could separate somewhat. To fix this, you should just stir them together (as well as add splashes of half-and-half or water if too thick) until they’re well-combined again. This Sausage Gravy should maintain its freshness in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then once you’re ready to eat it, slowly thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight before attempting to heat it. Just be sure to place it in an airtight container and leave a bit of space to account for expansion as the liquid freezes.
Can I make Sausage Gravy in advance?
Absolutely! You would just chill it in the refrigerator inside an airtight container, and it should be good for up to 3 days. Once ready to consume, you can reheat it in a saucepan or warm it up in the microwave for 30-second intervals. You may have to add a splash of half-and-half or water to thin it out, as it will thicken significantly once cool. After 3 days, I would advise that you dispose of it as the Sausage Gravy may no longer be safe to consume.
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Best Sausage Gravy Recipe
Equipment
- 1 12 - 14 Inch Skillet
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Cooking Spoon
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- 1 Knife (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 LB Ground Pork Sausage
- 3 Cups Half-and-Half
- 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 TBSP Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 TSP Iodized Salt
- 1/2 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 TSP Onion Powder
- 1/2 TSP Ground Marjoram
- 1/4 TSP Ground White Pepper
- 1/8 TSP Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Warm skillet on medium heat for 7 minutes***
- Add sausage to skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes***, or until brown with a light sear
- Form well in the middle of sausage and add unsalted butter to skillet, then warm on medium heat until melted.
- Once butter is melted, slowly, stir around sausage until it is fully coated with butter then slowly / gradually add flour atop sausage while stirring constantly to prevent clumping.
- Once butter and flour are well combined with the sausage, continue warming on medium heat for additional 2-3 minutes*** or until flour is no longer raw
- Gradually pour half & half to skillet with sausage & cooked flour while stirring constantly to prevent clumping/sticking.
- Once done pouring the half & half into the skillet, add spices/herbs and stir until well incorporated with liquid.
- While stirring frequently, continue warming sausage with half & half on medium heat for 2-3 minutes*** until it starts to boil, then reduce heat to medium low and continue warming for an additional 2-3 minutes***, or until gravy has thickened to desired consistency.
- Remove sausage gravy from heat and serve immediately.
Video
Notes