Thursday, October 20, 2011

Biscuits and Gravy


"It smells like my grandmother's house in here" is possibly one of the greatest compliments you could hear from your husband.  That's what Joey said as I cooked this breakfast - biscuits baking in the oven, sausage browning in the cast iron skillet on the stove...  it's definitely homey and comforting.  Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite breakfasts, but I hadn't indulged in it in probably 7 years.  However, when I saw my friend Courtney post this, I suddenly NEEDED to make them.  Immediately.

I have two biscuit recipes that I toggle between, these fluffy buttermilk biscuits and easy drop biscuits.  But I decided to make the ones Courtney posted because I was intrigued by cream biscuits.  They use heavy cream as the fat source instead of butter, but they were somehow still light, flaky, and buttery.  And they came together very quickly, which is always a plus.  The sausage gravy is really easy too - just brown the sausage, then use the rendered fat as the base for the gravy.  I started browning the sausage as the biscuits were cooking in the oven, and it was all done around the same time.

I love comfort foods as the weather cools down, and this is a great breakfast for lazy weekend mornings.



Cream Biscuits
adapted from The New Best Recipe, via Cook Like a Champion
makes 8 biscuits
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting your work surface
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  •   3/4tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Place oven rack in the upper-middle position and preheat oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of cream with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, leaving behind any flour left in the bottom of the bowl. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of cream to moisten any flour left in the bowl and add to the dough. Gather into a ball and knead for about 30 seconds or until smooth.

Use your hands to shape the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle. Using a 2 1/2-inch floured cutter, cut the biscuits into rounds and place on prepared baking sheet. Reshape the dough once to cut additional biscuits.To make ahead of time, wrap the baking sheet in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before baking. Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Sausage Gravy
adapted from Food Network, via Cook Like a Champion
  • 12 ounces bulk pork sausage
  • 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk (low-fat is fine)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a medium skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well-browned, about 7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the pan.


Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk for about 1 minute. Continue whisking while slowly adding the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sausage and serve immediately over split biscuits.


9 comments:

Jessamyn said...

I just made her recipe this morning and was reminded of my grandma too especially since i served it with applesauce! :)

Amy said...

Love biscuits and gravy. I make it near the holidays for either Christmas or New Year's breakfast each year. It's sooo comforting and tasty!

Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie said...

Biscuits and gravy are so good! These recipes look easy to handle too.

Nicole, RD said...

I'm not sure I've found a breakfast I love more than biscuits and gravy....YUM!

Leigh said...

Perfect comfort food right there. I am definitely going to have to try this soon!

pam said...

My dad's favorite was biscuits and gravy. He has passed away, but this recipe looks so wonderful I think we shall make it in his honor! Thanks.

test it comm said...

Those are looking good! I have been wanting to try biscuits and gravy for a while now.

nicole said...

perfect brunch dish.

Kristin said...

Oh boy, this was good!

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