Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy
I don’t know if there is anything more Southern than delicious, fluffy biscuits, and when it comes to toppings, a nice, rich gravy probably reigns supreme! It’s so iconic in my household that I make Biscuits and gravy every Christmas morning. (Per my husband’s request.) And even though it’s a recipe steeped in Southern heritage, it is still easy to make. I’m excited to show you how to make the Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy recipe so you can enjoy this ultimate comfort food any day of the year!
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First, let’s talk about my biscuits. This recipe comes from my mom and stepdad and has to be the easiest and tastiest biscuit recipe ever. The biscuits turn out huge and fluffy, with a nice crispy exterior on the bottom. My parents always took great care when making biscuits. There were never any shortcuts, and they landed on the table almost every night of the week.
They are so good that you can eat them plain or add toppings like jelly, butter, or gravy! And since we are all here to discuss the gravy, I’ll start there.
My white sausage gravy recipe is so simple that you will probably wonder why you waited so long to learn how to make it. It’s all made in one pan, has minimal ingredients, and comes together in minutes. Truly, it’s as easy as 1,2,3. (And it’s also a delicious meal!)
There are different types of Southern gravy, and I didn’t grow up eating white sausage gravy on my homemade biscuits. My mom always made brown gravy or tomato gravy to top our biscuits. White sausage gravy was something that I saw at hotels and even in fast-food restaurants (McDonald’s). So, my first impression of this “pale” gravy wasn’t very good because it was certainly not the “real thing.”
It doesn’t mean that McDonald’s sausage gravy won’t do in a pinch (because they have some great-tasting menu items—French fries), but my recipe is too easy and delicious to compromise for a lesser-tasting and more expensive option.
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Here are some things that I do recommend from one of the largest fast-food establishments in the world: (McDonald’s USA)
- Fountain beverages – McDonald’s seems to be known for their “crispy” soft drinks. (And by “crispy,” I mean overly carbonated and delicious!) And their beverage sizes are decent, too. (I’m considering a self-service fountain in my kitchen one day. I dream of making my own “drink order” as a part of normal kitchen operations in the Thompson household. (HA)
- Sausage biscuit – I have a serious soft spot for the sausage biscuit with cheese at McDonald’s. It is truly CHEF’S KISS! And even though I suggest you make my homemade biscuit recipe, cook your sausage at home, and assemble homemade sausage biscuits… McDonald’s got this one right! Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for McDonald’s breakfast burrito. You should make mine ALL DAY LONG!
- French Fries – They are slender, crispy, and perfectly salted EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
- Big Mac – Okay, hear me out. I’m only here for the special sauce. (I love Thousand Island dressing.) I’m not a huge fan of the ground beef at McDonald’s because it doesn’t have the best flavor or texture. But I think the Big Mac sauce is a great way to hide what’s lacking in the rest of the ingredients! (HA)
It wasn’t until I met my husband, who expressed how much he loved white sausage gravy, that I decided to try to make it.
It was so simple that I’ve been making it ever since!
I make white sausage and tomato gravy every Christmas morning for him and myself. Our kids eat the gravy or put grape jelly and butter on their biscuits, hot out of the oven.
Once you brown the sausage and remove it from the pan, add your flour, cook it for a minute, and then add milk. Whisk that all together, cook until it becomes as thick as you want, add your sausage back into the gravy, and season to your taste with salt and pepper. That’s it.
I know I’ve mentioned brown and tomato gravy in this post, and I would like to briefly show you how this basic gravy recipe can be tweaked to make both.
Where does GRAVY come from anyway?
To make my mom’s traditional brown gravy, brown some flour in your skillet using vegetable oil, shortening, bacon grease, or butter. Whenever the flour has browned and developed some color, add water, whisk, and season with salt and pepper.
To make my family’s traditional tomato gravy, I make the brown gravy mentioned above and add a can of tomato sauce. It’s that simple!
Tips for the Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy:
- For true white gravy, don’t let your flour develop any color. Let it cook for about a minute to remove the raw flour flavor, and immediately add your milk.
- Tips for the biscuits:
- Ensure you use a deep enough bowl to make a well in the middle of your flour.
- You can brush the tops of your biscuits with melted butter or vegetable oil. Either way, brushing them prevents them from drying and achieves that golden brown color.
- Don’t overcook your biscuits while trying to get them brown on top. Cook them for the time allotted in the recipe and let the broiler do the rest. This is the best way that I have found to have a fluffy biscuit that isn’t dry.
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Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy Ingredients:
For the white sausage gravy:
- 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
- 1/4 heaping cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups of whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the biscuits:
- 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening or softened butter
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of flour (self-rising)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon cold butter (melted)
Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy Instructions:
Making the biscuits:
- First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Second, place the dry ingredients: self-rising flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well (or a hole) in the center of the flour in the bowl.
- Third, pour the milk into the well in the middle of the flour mixture.
- Next, place the vegetable shortening (or butter) in the well with the milk.
- Then, using your hands, squish the vegetable shortening (or butter) and the milk together until combined. Some people use a pastry cutter, but I don’t find it necessary. You can achieve the same effect with your fingers—it gets messier.
- Slowly mix the milk mixture into the flour by pulling it from the sides of the bowl.
- Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil into a cast iron skillet and use a paper towel to rub it all over the skillet.
- When the flour is completely incorporated, separate the biscuit dough into six equal portions.
- Roll the dough into a ball. (The dough will be a bit sticky, so you can use a little flour on your hands to keep it from sticking.) You could also use a biscuit cutter to make them uniform in shape and size, but I prefer the homemade, rugged look.
- Then, place the six biscuits into the greased cast iron skillet and pat down slightly.
- Next, brush with melted butter.
- Place the biscuits in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Turn on the broiler after 20 minutes and let the biscuits’ tops get golden brown.
- Finally, pull the biscuits out of the oven and set aside.
Making the white sausage gravy:
- First, add the sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into smaller pieces while browning.
- Second, cook the sausage until fully done and remove from the skillet to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Third, turn the stove down to medium heat, and add the flour to the residual grease left in the skillet from the sausage. (Add vegetable oil or butter if you need more oil to make a paste with the flour.)
- Next, whisk the flour and oil/grease until incorporated and cook for about 1 minute. (Don’t brown the gravy; you don’t want it to develop color.)
- Then, add the milk to the flour and whisk to incorporate.
- Cook the gravy until it reaches your desired thickness, about 3-5 minutes.
- Next, add the browned sausage back into the gravy and stir.
- Then, taste the sausage gravy and add salt/pepper as needed.
- Finally, serve immediately while still hot on top of warm biscuits!
VARIATIONS FOR THE BEST SOUTHERN BISCUITS AND WHITE SAUSAGE GRAVY RECIPE:
- If you are on a low-calorie diet, you could swap the pork sausage for turkey sausage. I’m not sure it will make a big enough difference since you are consuming a good amount of bread/flour with the gravy and biscuits. But… every single calorie counts, right?!
- You could also swap the whole milk or heavy cream for a zero or low-fat option.
Storage for the Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy:
- Store leftover biscuits in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container for up to a week. (No need to refrigerate)
- Store leftover white sausage gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What are the Macros for the Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy?
Makes 6 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving)
- Calories –
- Protein –
- Carbs – (net)
- Fat –
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Best Southern Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy
Equipment
- 2 cast iron skillets
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the white sausage gravy:
- 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
- 1/4 heaping cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups of whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the biscuits:
- 1/3 cup of vegetable shortening or softened butter
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of flour self-rising
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon cold butter melted
Instructions
Making the biscuits:
- First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Second, place the dry ingredients: self-rising flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well (or a hole) in the center of the flour in the bowl.
- Third, pour the milk into the well in the middle of the flour mixture.
- Next, place the vegetable shortening (or butter) in the well with the milk.
- Then, using your hands, squish the vegetable shortening (or butter) and the milk together until combined. Some people use a pastry cutter, but I don’t find it necessary. You can achieve the same effect with your fingers—it gets messier.
- Slowly mix the milk mixture into the flour by pulling it from the sides of the bowl.
- Pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil into a cast iron skillet and use a paper towel to rub it all over the skillet.
- When the flour is completely incorporated, separate the biscuit dough into six equal portions.
- Roll the dough into a ball. (The dough will be a bit sticky, so you can use a little flour on your hands to keep it from sticking.) You could also use a biscuit cutter to make them uniform in shape and size, but I prefer the homemade, rugged look.
- Then, place the six biscuits into the greased cast iron skillet and pat down slightly.
- Next, brush with melted butter.
- Place the biscuits in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Turn on the broiler after 20 minutes and let the biscuits’ tops get golden brown.
- Finally, pull the biscuits out of the oven and set aside.
Making the white sausage gravy:
- First, add the sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into smaller pieces while browning.
- Second, cook the sausage until fully done and remove from the skillet to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Third, turn the stove down to medium heat, and add the flour to the residual grease left in the skillet from the sausage. (Add vegetable oil or butter if you need more oil to make a paste with the flour.)
- Next, whisk the flour and oil/grease until incorporated and cook for about 1 minute. (Don’t brown the gravy; you don’t want it to develop color.)
- Then, add the milk to the flour and whisk to incorporate.
- Cook the gravy until it reaches your desired thickness, about 3-5 minutes.
- Next, add the browned sausage back into the gravy and stir.
- Then, taste the sausage gravy and add salt/pepper as needed.
- Finally, serve immediately while still hot on top of warm biscuits!
