Pioneer Woman sausage gravy from The Pioneer Woman site cooks breakfast sausage with onion and thickens the pan with flour and whole milk. And the gravy serves 4 to 6 over biscuits at approximately 380 calories per serving in just 25 minutes, since it all happens in one skillet.
P2: Instead of browning sausage links or patties and removing them, this recipe has you pinch small pieces straight from the roll into the skillet. So the meat breaks down into the flour roux, which means every spoonful of gravy carries bits of sausage throughout.
P3: Toasting the flour for a full 2 minutes after coating the sausage is the step that separates good gravy from pasty gravy. And if you pour in the milk too soon, the raw flour never cooks out and the finished gravy tastes starchy instead of smooth.
Source: The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com)
Pioneer Woman Sausage Gravy
Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings5
minutes20
minutes380
kcalPinched pieces of breakfast sausage brown with diced onion in a skillet before flour coats the meat and toasts into a roux. Then whole milk pours in and simmers with seasoned salt, pepper, and dried herbs until thick enough to smother warm biscuits.
Ingredients
- For the gravy:
1 lb. breakfast sausage, like Jimmy Dean
1/2 sweet onion, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon dried sage or thyme (optional)
Salt, to taste
- For serving:
Biscuits
Directions
- Brown the sausage: Pull off small pieces of sausage and add them to a large skillet in a single layer, then sprinkle the onion over top if using.
- Cook until done: Then place over medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is no longer pink.
- Add the flour: Once the meat is browned, reduce the heat to medium-low and sprinkle the flour over the sausage.
- Toast the roux: Then stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes until the flour is lightly toasted.
- Pour in the milk: While stirring, pour in the whole milk and increase the heat to medium-high.
- Thicken the gravy: Once the mixture boils and thickens, reduce the heat back to medium-low.
- Season the gravy: Then add the seasoned salt, pepper, and dried sage or thyme if using.
- Simmer until thick: Let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy reaches a thick consistency.
- Adjust and serve: Then season with more salt and pepper to taste, and spoon over warm biscuits.
FAQs
Can I use sausage patties instead of a roll?
The source page includes a quote from Ree Drummond explaining that she fries patties separately and serves the gravy alongside them. But if your patties are raw, pinch small pieces off and cook them exactly like the roll.
And pre-cooked patties work too, though you lose the rendered fat that builds the roux. So add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet before the flour goes in, because the roux needs fat to toast properly.
Why does the recipe call for whole milk?
Whole milk gives the gravy body and richness that lower-fat versions cannot match, since the fat content helps the flour thicken into a smooth consistency. And 2% milk produces a thinner gravy that takes longer to reduce, so you end up simmering out the flavor.
But if whole milk is all you use for the gravy, save any leftover for another recipe that calls for it. This pairs well as a weekend spread alongside something like pioneer woman cinnamon rolls, since both use pantry staples and come together on a lazy morning.
Can I add other seasonings or herbs?
The source page suggests swapping in hot, maple, or even chorizo-style sausage for a different flavor base. And fresh sage or thyme works if you use 2 teaspoons chopped instead of the 1 teaspoon dried.
Minced garlic is another addition the page mentions, and it cooks in well with the onion during the first 8 to 10 minutes. But go easy on strong dried spices like cayenne, because a little heat intensifies as the gravy simmers down.
How do I fix gravy that is too thick or too thin?
If the gravy thickens too much during the simmer, splash in a quarter cup of milk at a time and stir until it loosens. Since the flour keeps absorbing liquid as it sits, the gravy always thickens more on the stove and again on the plate.
And if it is too thin after the full simmer, let it cook a few more minutes on medium-low without a lid. But do not crank the heat high to speed things up, because scorched milk turns the gravy grainy and gives it a burnt taste.
What else can I serve sausage gravy with besides biscuits?
The source page suggests topping a gravy-covered biscuit with a fried or poached egg for a heartier plate. And spooning it over a sausage breakfast casserole or fried chicken biscuits are two other options Ree’s team mentions.
For a full Pioneer Woman breakfast spread, this gravy alongside something like pioneer woman baked ziti makes a brunch buffet that covers both savory and cheesy. Or keep it simpler with hash browns and scrambled eggs, since the gravy does all the heavy lifting on its own.
