One of my favorite breakfast treats is a warm homemade biscuit smothered in sausage gravy. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t fix this very often. (I did say “treat” above and that’s exactly what I meant.) Because as much as I might desire this combination more often than I prepare and serve it, I know it’s not the healthiest way to begin my day. But OMG, if calories didn’t count, and I had the metabolism of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I would gobble up this delicious combination every 3 or 4 days. It is just such a delightfully savory, creamy, tasty, and soul satisfying bundle of joy, that there would be no hesitation on my part. But then reality enters the picture. Bottom line: this is not what I should eat routinely, but only periodically as a special treat. So, ladies and gentlemen, that’s exactly what happens here at Chez Carr. Maybe once every 4 months and then usually for a trailer trip.
I make the biscuits and gravy and neatly pack them in small containers that fit perfectly in our trailer’s freezer. Then while on the road, I simply nuke the biscuits, and warm up the gravy on my lovely three burner propane stove. Breakfast ready.
So, if you too love biscuits and sausage gravy, this is the quickest and easiest recipe for this delicious breakfast treat.
BTW – my next post is for all of you out there who spend time in your trailers or boats. I’m going to share my list of prepared foods I make ahead of time to free up my time while on the road. Plus, the exact list of foods I plan to prepare for our upcoming trailer trip with dear friends Margo and Jim and Phyllis and Tim.
Well, that’s it for now. My plan for today is to prepare the trailer food list, make Creamy Roquefort Dressing (see recipe below) for the green salad I plan to serve with Hamburger Dip Sandwiches with Onion and Dry Sherry Au Jus (recipe on site) this evening, and start the 5th book in the Louise Penny series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. (And yes, I have already read the series, but I am enjoying each book just as much the second time around.)
So, may you too continue to plan and prepare new and not so new dishes for your family and friends. Spend quality time with the books you love and consider old friends but be open to new and exciting adventures. And always remember to count your blessings. We all have blessings just waiting to be acknowledged. A beautiful sunrise, a bit of rain on a summer day, a smile from a stranger, an unexpected call from a friend (thank you Ann B.) who was just thinking of you, etc. etc. These are the real things that matter.
Peace and love to all.
And if you are into cats, the latest picture of Miles, sleeping in a place only this magical guy could find for himself.
For the drop biscuits:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1 T. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 T. (¾ stick) grated cold unsalted butter
1 c. cold buttermilk
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Add the grated cold butter to the mixing bowl. Work the butter evenly into the flour mixture using a regular table knife.
Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with that same table knife just until combined. (This will be a slightly wet and very sticky dough.) (BTW, a plain old table knife is one of my favorite implements for mixing thick or heavy dough. Cuts (sorry) right into the ingredients and blends the dough much better than any spoon or spatula can accomplish.)
Using a large ice cream scoop (about a quarter cup), plop balls of dough onto your prepared baking sheet about 2-inches apart.
Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for about 10-13 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet.
Serve immediately (while still hot) or cool completely before storing in an airtight container in your refrigerator or freezer.
For the sausage gravy:
2 T. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage
3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ c. whole milk, plus more if needed
1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper (not too much)
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sized pan. Add sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Fry until the meat is a nice dark brown and there are tasty meat bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining butter to the pan and whisk in the flour lifting the browned bits off the bottom as you stir the mixture. Let the whole mess burble for a couple of minutes.
Slowly whisk in milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, seasoned salt, and pepper.
Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (The sauce will thicken nicely during this time.) Taste and adjust seasoning. Add additional milk or water if the consistency is too thick.
CREAMY ROQUEFORT DRESSING
¾ c. crumbled roquefort cheese, or more to taste
½ c. buttermilk
¼ c. sour cream
3T. mayonnaise
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
¼ tsp. granulated sugar
1small garlic clove
¼ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. That’s it!
Notice where Miles is and where the striped pillow is. Now look at the next picture (after I put the whole “pillow thing” back where it belonged) and tell me how this kitty moved the striped pillow out of the way without disturbing the one just in front of him. Which BTW is the backside of the pillow as you will see in the next picture. If this isn’t magic, I don’t know what else it could be!
The way the pillows are normally arranged on our guest bed.