How many of you could use a little comfort right about now?

I understand that we’re all supposed to be watching our weight, unclogging our arteries and thinking keto-thoughts, but by golly sometimes regular old comfort food is in order and it comes happily to you today in the form of Homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.

While biscuits and gravy traditionally spell morning and breakfast, they were a welcome and satisfying Sunday night dinner for us. After a full three days at the farm which included cow feeding, fence clearing, mesquite cutting, porch sitting, and huge Copperhead killing (holy moly, so close to JT!), these rich buttermilk biscuits and creamy gravy were the perfect ending to a rainy and socially distant weekend!

With all of the extra “home” time that many of us have right now, it’s a great opportunity to make some biscuits from scratch (why not?) and perfect our gravy-making technique. I mean if you’re from the south you’ve got to know how to make gravy- it’s just a thing! But on the off chance you’re not exactly a gravy afficionado, I promise it’s a breeze to stir up and delicious to boot!

Let’s start with the gravy – it’s so simple really. Here’s my own recipe:

SAUSAGE GRAVY

Ingredients (to serve 4-6)

1 lb. pork breakfast sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)

about 1/2 cup flour

about 4 cups milk

Salt, coarsely ground pepper, and Seasoning salt to taste

Directions

1. Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-low heat, breaking it into small pieces as you stir.
2. When the sausage is brown, but not crispy!, reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the flour directly onto the sausage in the skillet and continue to stir. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Slowly pour in the milk while continuing to stir. It will thicken almost immediately. Cook while stirring about 5- 8 minutes more. (Note: If necessary add a bit more milk or a little additional flour to achieve your desired consistency.)
4. Season with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt to taste. (Really that’s the best way!)

Serve over hot, homemade biscuits!

For the biscuits, I use Joanna Gaines biscuit recipe from the Magnolia Table Cookbook. She mixes things up by adding eggs- and a perfect addition they are!

And just to note – I usually half this recipe and get about 12 biscuits- they freeze well.

JOJO’S BISCUITS

PREP: 20 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes chilling COOK: 15 to 20 minutes COOL: 5 minutes

Makes about 20 biscuits

• 4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for the work surface
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ pound (3 sticks) salted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch pieces or grated
• 2 large eggs, beaten, plus 1 large egg for brushing
• 1½ cups buttermilk, or as needed, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
• Jam or gravy, for serving

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are even and about the size of peas.

2. Stir in the beaten eggs with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in 1½ cups buttermilk until the dough comes together into a sticky mass. If it is too dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until it reaches the correct consistency. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Scrape the dough onto a floured work surface. Use your floured hands to press it into a round roughly 14 inches across and about ½ inch thick.

5. Use a floured 2¾- inch round cutter to cut out about 20 biscuits. If necessary, collect and pat out the scraps to cut more biscuits.

6. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them so that they all are touching.

7. In a small dish, beat together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Brush the mixture on the top of the biscuits.

8. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in the pan on a rack.

9. Biscuits are best the day they are made (and ideally fresh out of the oven!). Serve with strawberry jam or gravy, if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

NOTE: For longer storage, arrange the biscuits about ½ inch apart on two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and freeze until solid. Transfer them to a zip-top plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks. There is no need to thaw them before baking.

From Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines. Copyright © 2018 by Joanna Gaines.

Enjoy!!

Lu