Yield: 4 servings | Active Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 to 2 cups whole milk (start with 1.5 cups, add more if needed)
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet
Instructions
Crumble the sausage in a 10- to 12-inch cast iron skillet. Brown over medium heat.
Remove the cooked sausage and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat, making sure you leave the stuck-on bits behind.
Whisk the flour into the fat in the skillet and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Kill the heat and whisk in the milk a little at a time, starting with 1.5 cups.
Return the mixture to medium-high heat and whisk occasionally while the gravy comes to a simmer and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk if gravy is too thick.
Crumble the cooked sausage into the gravy, season with salt, add an insane amount of pepper, and serve hot over toast or biscuits.
This Southern breakfast sauce is best paired with buttermilk biscuits. The browned bits stuck to the pan contain essential flavor and should be scraped up during cooking.
Adaptations:
Start with 1.5 cups of milk and add more as needed to reach desired consistency.
Consider adding cayenne pepper for extra heat.
Secret ingredient: Try adding a tablespoon of pancake syrup for a subtle sweetness that balances the savory flavors.
