Sausage Gravy from Scratch

Talk about comfort food! Homemade sausage gravy from scratch is something that is both comforting and so yummy. It is filling, delicious, and mmm mmm good.

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My family loves sausage gravy and biscuits. You can make this sausage gravy from scratch in about twenty-five minutes. That is the perfect amount of time, because it takes around thirty-five minutes to make my delicious homemade biscuits. They will both be done and ready to eat right about the same time. 

What a couple! Some people think that these two met in Southern Appalachia in the late 1800’s. It was known to be a relatively cheap and high-calorie food. It was fuel for the body and helped people to stay full and have the energy they needed for the day. And do you know what? They are still a couple to this day!

What materials do I need to make homemade sausage gravy?

You will need a standard saucepan to make this gravy in. I like to use a 5-quart saucepan. The one I have is old and works well for browning meat in it. Browning the sausage, making the roux, and making the gravy can all be done in the same pan. After you brown the sausage, put it in another bowl. Go ahead and make the roux and then add your milk to it to finish the gravy. 

What ingredients do I need to make homemade sausage gravy?

-one pound sausage

-5 tablespoons butter

-7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-2 cups 2% or whole milk

-1 tsp. Salt (to taste)

-1 ½ tsp. Pepper (to taste)

Hopefully you have everything on hand that you need. You will need one pound of sausage. You will be browning that first. For the roux, which is the thickening agent for the gravy, you will need five tablespoons of butter and seven tablespoons of all-purpose flour. You melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour to make the roux. I like to use 2% or whole milk to finish off the gravy. Slowly add in the two cups of milk and give it time to let it thicken with the roux. Add a teaspoon of salt and 1 ½ teaspoons of pepper. I think pepper makes it! 

What steps do I take to make homemade sausage gravy?

Homemade sausage gravy takes around twenty-five minutes to make. I like to mix up my biscuits and put them in the oven and then make my gravy while the biscuits are baking. 

-Put one pound of sausage in a standard saucepan and brown the sausage over medium heat. You do not need to preheat the pan before adding the sausage. 

-Pour the browned sausage into a separate heat safe bowl. You are just storing it in there while you mix up the roux and make the gravy.

-You can leave bits of sausage and some grease in the pan. If there is a significant amount of grease, you will want to measure it as part of your five tablespoons of butter. It will depend on the sausage. I don’t usually have to drain off or measure in the remaining grease. 

-Put five tablespoons of butter into the same pan that you browned the sausage in. You do not need to clean the pan first. Melt the butter over medium heat. 

-Add in seven tablespoons of flour and mix it into the melted butter with a whisk. It will be bubbly and thick within a minute to two. 

-SLOWLY pour two cups of 2% or whole milk into the butter and flour mixture. Whisk it in as you pour it in. You want this to happen slowly so that the roux can interact with the milk and start thickening it. 

-Continue to stir the gravy until it thickens to your liking. This will take around five minutes or so. 

-Stir in one teaspoon of salt and one and one half teaspoons of pepper. Add more to taste. 

-Mix in the browned sausage and you are ready to go!

Can I double this homemade sausage gravy recipe?

You can definitely double this recipe. If you are nervous about doubling it, you can make two separate pans of the sausage gravy and then combine them. To double it, you would mix ten tablespoons of butter with fourteen tablespoons of all-purpose flour for the roux. After that, mix in four cups of milk to make the gravy. 

How many people will this recipe feed?

This recipe will feed around six people. The last time I made it, it fed five grown adults. We had about a half a cup of gravy leftover. I guess it will also depend on how hungry you are. 

What types of biscuits can I serve with this?

You can use canned biscuits, homemade biscuits, or frozen biscuits. You can buy southern style canned biscuits and they are pretty good. If you want to make homemade biscuits, I have a quick and simple recipe for homemade biscuits that you should definitely try. They are quick, delicious, fluffy, and simple to make. Frozen biscuits are also a great option. I like Pillsbury frozen biscuits. You can sometimes find the mini ones and those are so fun and cute! Follow the directions with making canned or frozen biscuits. Add melted butter to the tops of frozen or canned biscuits when they come out of the oven for extra deliciousness. 

Tips for making homemade sausage gravy

I struggled to figure out gravy in our early years of marriage. It would taste good, but always be too runny. I gave up for several years, but then wanted to make it for my boys, so I went at it again. Finding a recipe that worked for me didn’t happen, so I came up with my own. It took some experimenting, but I finally found a ratio that worked for me. I want to share it with you! Five tablespoons of butter, seven tablespoons of flour, and two cups of milk. Five to seven to two. This ratio works for me everytime. 

Adding the milk to the roux slowly is key to making sure that it thickens up properly. Also, leave the lid off until it is cool. If you add the lid on too soon the condensation will go to the top of the lid, drop down into your gravy, and make your gravy runny. 

What in the world is a roux?

A roux, pronounced rue, is a mixture of butter and flour. This mixture is the thickening agent for gravy, sauce, and soups. You can use crisco or the grease from the meat in place of the butter. You would use the same ratio as mentioned above. The ratio is five tablespoons of butter, crisco, or grease to seven tablespoons of flour. To make a roux, melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour and whisk it around. It will get bubbly and thick. 

What kind of sausage should I use for this sausage gravy?

I buy what is on sale. You can use generic, name brand, or specialty sausage. For Christmas, my husband gets a gift package mailed to him that contains bacon, sausage, and ham steaks. This sausage is by far our favorit, but we only get it once a year. 

Give this sausage gravy a try and enjoy!