Biscuits and Gravy s/o of cooking challenge thread

[saraha]

So not to fill up @WildflowerMoms thread, here you go!
Here is my biscuit recipe, it lives with my other two most commonly used recipes inside the plate cabinet door. All 6 of my kids can use these recipes and turn out consistent products. Todays biscuits are brought to you by ds12. He and I had fun doing this! He says thanks for asking so we could have biscuits and gravy this morning! I don’t know why it keeps adding on its side!

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[saraha]

You want to cook the sausage so that it has barely lost its pink and is still moist. Then add three teaspoons of flour sprinkled all over the top.

[saraha]

I can’t figure out how to get them not on their side!

Next you turn your heat down to five and cook and stir the sausage til the flour disappears. Some will stick to the bottom of the skillet, that’s ok

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[saraha]

The next step is important. You are going to very SLOWLY pour in two cups of milk while stirring constantly 

 

 

[saraha]

In the first picture you can see I didn’t add more milk until all the milk I already added was Incorperated, then added more

[saraha]

Keep stirring and adding til you get all the milk in. Make sure you are scraping the bottom of the skillet to get all the flour mixed in

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[saraha]

Now, the longer the gravy sits, the thicker it is going to get. If it gets too thick for you add milk. The more milk you add, the sweeter the gravy is going to taste, you might need to adjust your spices. I add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, start with just a little and add as needed. I usually use these amounts. I forgot to take a picture of the salt, I just shake a little on.

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[saraha]

Here are the biscuits:

[LuvToRead]

Yum!  I love biscuits and gravy.  I don't measure anything - just add some flour and milk til it seems right - but it's good to have a baseline recipe for those who have never made it.  My local grocery store sells a bacon sausage and it makes the most delicious gravy.  I may have to make b & g this week for supper.   Also I make rolled biscuits the lazy way - i cut them into squares.  No re-rolling and dealing with scraps.

It looks like your recipe for biscuits is a rolled one and you shape then with your hands?  I have never thought of it.  It would save some time and clean up.  I may have to try that!

[saraha]

These drop biscuits are super tender and fragile. The more you work biscuit dough, the tougher they get. So if you want sturdier biscuits, you can work them in your hand more, or roll them out. And there you go! Biscuits and gravy!

 

I flipped one over so you could see the color on the bottom

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[WildflowerMom]

This is awesome!    Thank you @saraha!!  

[saraha]

Just now, WildflowerMom said:

This is awesome!    Thank you @saraha!!  

It was fun! Ds enjoyed taking the pictures and that his biscuit dough is now on the internet ☺️

[happi duck]

Dh loves biscuits and gravy and I very much don't.  I might try this for father's day.  He'd be very surprised!

[saraha]

2 minutes ago, happi duck said:

Dh loves biscuits and gravy and I very much don't.  I might try this for father's day.  He'd be very surprised!

1 pound of sausage makes a LOT of gravy, halving everything works out really well

[LuvToRead]

Just now, saraha said:

1 pound of sausage makes a LOT of gravy, halving everything works out really well

Can you have too much gravy???  😁 My DH would say no! 

[saraha]

I’ve used this same technique to make a hamburger gravy with onions and mushrooms. I barely brown the meat with the onions and mushrooms and the spices are salt, pepper, garlic and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I’ve served it over rice, noodles and mashed potatoes.

Same with sirloin steak cut up into cubes. At the end I stir in a big spoonful of sour cream. Dd16 did that with diced chicken breast once but substituted 2/3 of the milk with chicken broth and left out the worchestershire sauce. It was really good.

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[stephanier.1765]

Biscuits and gravy is one of the things I miss most about being vegan. That looks so delicious and now I'm really craving it. One of the other things I miss is my mother's banana pudding. Now, every holiday, she makes a special batch just for us vegans in the family. I love that woman!

[Laura Corin]

Okay - now I understand the gravy I was served by my in-laws.  I couldn't get a handle on it because I wasn't used to gravy incorporating meat, rather than being made from meat juices.  Thanks!

[Scarlett]

Thank you @saraha!  I am going to try this for Dh soon.

[marbel]

Ah, this is great, thank you!

I can't find the amount of sausage meat to use - is it 1 pound?  Just bulk pork sausage, right? Or something different?

 

[saraha]

1 hour ago, marbel said:

Ah, this is great, thank you!

I can't find the amount of sausage meat to use - is it 1 pound?  Just bulk pork sausage, right? Or something different?

 

Sorry, yes it’s one pound of medium breakfast sausage, like comes in the tube.

Edited April 25, 2023 by saraha

[lovinmyboys]

Thank you! My kids are used to grands biscuits and the pioneer gravy mix, but we can’t get that where we live now, so I will try making this. Biscuits and gravy from scratch is one my 23 for 23 items. 

[saraha]

I hope they like them, homemade has a different texture to grands 

[ScoutTN]

Making these as soon as our pastured pork shares come in. We’ll get plenty of b’fast sausage and a big jar of lard. 

[Drama Llama]

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

[Drama Llama]

Also, if it’s just Hoover, Dyson and me, plus a taste for my little dog, how much sausage would you start with?  

[CindyH in NC]

Saraha's delicious-looking drop biscuits look very much like my MIL's and husband's version of biscuits.  My husband would serve these with fried or scrambled eggs and sliced fresh tomatoes either as a late weekend breakfast or as breakfast for dinner.  Not sure why the tomatoes - but that is how his family always did it.  🙂 Probably just need something to offset the heaviness of the meal.  We haven't had biscuits and gravy in over a year, so maybe we can try this soon when the kids are home.  Hope yours turns out great.  

 

50 minutes ago, BandH said:

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

 

[Mona]

Yummy! Thanks for posting! 😋

[Innisfree]

1 hour ago, BandH said:

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

In an ideal world, I would serve sausage and biscuits with cinnamon apples. Or hash browns.  Or both. 

I love breakfast foods.

[saraha]

1 hour ago, BandH said:

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

Good luck!!!
We have cooked apples or applesauce and scrambled eggs

1 hour ago, BandH said:

Also, if it’s just Hoover, Dyson and me, plus a taste for my little dog, how much sausage would you start with?  

We’ll, no matter how much I make, we never have any left, so I can never make too much! Half a pound should be plenty for three-ish and if you really like it, you could just cook up the other half pound tomorrow with fresh biscuits!

Edited April 27, 2023 by saraha

[gardenmom5]

I've never thought about biscuits and gravy being a southern thing.  My grandmother was from the midwest, and she probably made it.  When we were in charleston, the hotel had "biscuits and gravy" everyday for their breakfast buffet.  no meat in the gravy though.  I vaguely recall having come across it in parts of Texas too . . . .

My kids love biscuits and creamed ham.  and one of the leftovers 2ds will reheat himself.

Their second biggest reason they like having ham. . . 😜  (first is ham gravy on mashed potatoes.)

 

 

[Sneezyone]

4 hours ago, BandH said:

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

If you survive with a half lb of sausage and two boys/teens let alone 3 lemme know. 1/2 lb should be plenty for one adult woman tho! DD's GF is REGULARLY eating at our house now, barracks food being what it is. I'm struggling to adjust my portions accordingly. They seem to sniff the air outside (vents) and come in expecting sustenance!

My grandmother/grandfather (PNW) regularly made shit on a shingle (it was one of the few things my grandmother could competently cook) but that is *not* biscuits and gravy. They're both made with a blond roux and milk, yes, but one isn't flavored by sausage and sage and onions and garlic. SOS is a salty mess of a recipe peddled to war brides as sustenance. Dried beef was the protein of choice and the 'gravy' was bland as a result.

Biscuits and gravy has meat in it.

First clue WRT southern roots...SEASONINGS/HERBS, MULTIPLE (fresh or dried).

Edited April 28, 2023 by Sneezyone

[saraha]

18 hours ago, BandH said:

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

How did it go??? 

[Carol in Cal.]

18 hours ago, BandH said:

I am going to face my fear of gravy head on tonight, so keep me in your thoughts! 

If you are having this for dinner, what do you serve with it?  

PSA:  I put my foolproof turkey gravy method in the other thread, in detail, albeit with no pictures.

[Drama Llama]

4 hours ago, saraha said:

How did it go??? 

Sadly, life interfered.  I will need to try again!

[prairiewindmomma]

Fwiw, my two boys eat about 4 biscuits each with a lake of gravy, 4-6 eggs each, and seasoned potatoes. If your boys eat like mine, there is no way 1/2lb is enough. I use a pound, and stretch the gravy quite a bit by adding cream after the milk and adding a touch of flour more if needed for consistency.

It’s a great meal for helping them maintain weight. Oldest tends to be close to medically underweight. As for my waistline—proceed with the above recipe with caution. 😁

 

[fairfarmhand]

On 4/25/2023 at 10:52 AM, Laura Corin said:

Okay - now I understand the gravy I was served by my in-laws.  I couldn't get a handle on it because I wasn't used to gravy incorporating meat, rather than being made from meat juices.  Thanks!

My family REALLY enjoyed this video highlighting the difference between British gravy and Southern gravy.

[KungFuPanda]

Ohhhh, I wanna contribute! We had gravy and biscuits every weekend of the world when I was growing up. As an adult I do not make this often because Dh has a sedentary job and I no longer cook with shortening, so life is not the same. I still have strong opinions. 🤣 My first is that breakfast gravy with a little color will always taste better than a white gravy. It pays to take the time and darken the roux a bit before adding milk.
 

I sincerely believe that sausage used to give up more fat years ago. Today, most sausage is a bit lean for gravy so I tend to add a little bacon grease so I have enough to darken the roux,
 

For the biscuits, it helps to get a southern flour like White Lily.
Here is a fool proof drop biscuit recipe where you don’t have to stress about over mixing or even cutting in the fat. I’ve tried it a few times and these biscuits are nice and don’t rely on generations of ancestors showing you the right way. They’re also fast and easy. 

 

 

Here is a super fun video of British kids trying breakfast gravy. 
 

I might need to make gravy and biscuits today 😬

[KungFuPanda]

Ohhh, one more. I usually use this gravy technique where you remove the sausage to make the roux, but I make mine a bit darker (not gumbo dark, the gravy is still a ‘white’ gravy). I also use a large cast iron skillet and make a lot. (This is probably why I need more fat) Since I do it so rarely we like to have leftovers. 
 

 

[saraha]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

Ohhhh, I wanna contribute! We had gravy and biscuits every weekend of the world when I was growing up. As an adult I do not make this often because Dh has a sedentary job and I no longer cook with shortening, so life is not the same. I still have strong opinions. 🤣 My first is that breakfast gravy with a little color will always taste better than a white gravy. It pays to take the time and darken the roux a bit before adding milk.
 

I sincerely believe that sausage used to give up more fat years ago. Today, most sausage is a bit lean for gravy so I tend to add a little bacon grease so I have enough to darken the roux,
 

For the biscuits, it helps to get a southern flour like White Lily.
Here is a fool proof drop biscuit recipe where you don’t have to stress about over mixing or even cutting in the fat. I’ve tried it a few times and these biscuits are nice and don’t rely on generations of ancestors showing you the right way. They’re also fast and easy. 

 

 

Here is a super fun video of British kids trying breakfast gravy. 
 

I might need to make gravy and biscuits today 😬

That video was awesome!!!

They put gravy in the tea?!?

Edited April 29, 2023 by saraha

[Innisfree]

13 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

My family REALLY enjoyed this video highlighting the difference between British gravy and Southern gravy.

Did I miss a link? This sounds interesting. Although @KungFuPanda’s video of the kids trying biscuits might cover the same points, maybe?

Edited April 29, 2023 by Innisfree

[WildflowerMom]

3 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Ohhhh, I wanna contribute! We had gravy and biscuits every weekend of the world when I was growing up. As an adult I do not make this often because Dh has a sedentary job and I no longer cook with shortening, so life is not the same. I still have strong opinions. 🤣 My first is that breakfast gravy with a little color will always taste better than a white gravy. It pays to take the time and darken the roux a bit before adding milk.
 

I sincerely believe that sausage used to give up more fat years ago. Today, most sausage is a bit lean for gravy so I tend to add a little bacon grease so I have enough to darken the roux,
 

For the biscuits, it helps to get a southern flour like White Lily.
Here is a fool proof drop biscuit recipe where you don’t have to stress about over mixing or even cutting in the fat. I’ve tried it a few times and these biscuits are nice and don’t rely on generations of ancestors showing you the right way. They’re also fast and easy. 

 

 

Here is a super fun video of British kids trying breakfast gravy. 
 

I might need to make gravy and biscuits today 😬

I loved this.  That kid said, it makes me happy.   Yep, gravy makes me happy, too.   Too happy.  🤣

[fairfarmhand]

3 hours ago, Innisfree said:

Did I miss a link? This sounds interesting. Although @KungFuPanda’s video of the kids trying biscuits might cover the same points, maybe?

It was the exact same video. I don't know what happened to my link!

[saraha]

Picked dd19 up from college Friday night. First words out of her mouth Saturday morning, can you fix biscuits and gravy? 😆

[Drama Llama]

Keep me in your thoughts, tonight is attempt number 2!  

Everything is made except the gravy so cross your fingers that I can do this thing!  

[Kassia]

15 minutes ago, BandH said:

Keep me in your thoughts, tonight is attempt number 2!  

Everything is made except the gravy so cross your fingers that I can do this thing!  

you got this!

[KungFuPanda]

Well? How was it?

[saraha]

I hope it was dreamy! 

[saraha]

On 4/27/2023 at 9:33 PM, gardenmom5 said:

I've never thought about biscuits and gravy being a southern thing.  My grandmother was from the midwest, and she probably made it.  When we were in charleston, the hotel had "biscuits and gravy" everyday for their breakfast buffet.  no meat in the gravy though.  I vaguely recall having come across it in parts of Texas too . . . .

My kids love biscuits and creamed ham.  and one of the leftovers 2ds will reheat himself.

Their second biggest reason they like having ham. . . 😜  (first is ham gravy on mashed potatoes.)

 

 

We have a ridiculous amount of ham for the hogs we raised, can you tell me how to make this? 

Edited May 4, 2023 by saraha

[gardenmom5]

51 minutes ago, saraha said:

We have a ridiculous amount of ham for the hogs we raised, can you tell me how to make this? 

Basically, ham cut into small pieces, in a white cream sauce.

First you make a roux . . . .(boy that has been drilled into me . . . it's a basic of all white sauces)
1/4 C butter

1/4 C flour   

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp powdered mustard

melt butter in large sauce pan, moderate heat, add flour, pepper, mustard, mix well.

slowly add milk and cream

1 C milk - stir with a whisk so there are no lumps.

1/2 C light cream  (we often used evap milk.)

stir until thickened.

add 

1 1/2 C diced ham

1/2 tsp salt.