Sausage Gravy Recipe
This is the perfect sausage gravy recipe for Saturday morning, or any other morning, for that matter. Having a good-quality sausage as part of any meal is a real treat. My parents used to make their sausage, and I loved it. I’ve found this Jimmy Dean sausage to be a close second.
I like sausage patties, and Mark likes his link style, but any sausage version can bring us smiles. I hope you can use this updated post from July 2021. You can buy a large sausage tube, break it down, and freeze it in the amount your family will use. It’s a recipe we can stretch to feed more people. How to Make Biscuits
I try to bring new and adventurous recipes for you to try. If you like sausage, gravy, and possibly biscuits or toast in combination, you’ve got a recipe that will bring the whole family around for seconds. Enjoy! In case you missed this post, Pork Breakfast Sausage
Kitchen Tools You May Need:
- Cast Iron Frying Pan
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Cup Pitcher
Sausage Gravy Recipe
Step One: Gather Ingredients
I always gather all the ingredients listed in the recipe before starting so I can check them off the list. I don’t want to miss any essential items that would contribute to the final product’s success.
Step Two: Cook Sausage
I had Mark cook the sausage in my 12″ cast iron pan. We use it all the time to cook so many different things. It heats and cooks very consistently on my natural gas stove. Mark made sure the sausage was broken up into small pieces, not only so it could be cooked all the way through but also so the pieces were small enough to mix with the other ingredients easily.
Step Three: Make Sure Meat is Fully Cooked
As you can see below, we ensured the sausage was cooked until thoroughly done and safe to eat. (145°F) = (62°C) It took a few minutes, but being safe is worth it. The picture below shows that this Jimmy Dean sausage had no greasy texture, just high-quality meat.
Be aware that Jimmy Dean sausage and sausage from other vendors come in various flavors. As you experiment with this recipe, don’t be afraid to try out the variety of offerings. Note that I used the “regular” flavor for today’s recipe.
Step Four: Stir in Flour
The next step is to stir in the flour. I wasn’t sure how well this would work in the cast iron pan, but it worked out great.
Step Five: Stir Til Flour Mixes
When thoroughly mixed with the sausage, the flour disappears and is ready for the milk to be added. Note that the sausage stays in pieces as you mix it in the flour, just the way you want it.
Step Six: Add Milk
For years, we’ve been making “cream chipped beef on toast” as a special treat for family, so I was used to adding milk to recipes that called for a “sauce” that thickens as it’s heated. That’s precisely what happened here. We stirred the milk, flour, and sausage mixture until it had the consistency of gravy.
Step Seven: Stir to Thicken
As you can see, the heated mixture becomes gravy, just right as a topping. We let it simmer for a few minutes just to be sure.
Step Eight: Cook Biscuits
While the sausage gravy was made, I cooked some light and fluffy biscuits. It was timed just right so we could top the biscuits with the sausage gravy for dinner while they were hot and tasty. With a bit of salt and pepper to bring out the sausage flavor, we had plenty to eat and thoroughly enjoyed the texture and savory taste.
Finished Product
Sausage Gravy Recipe
- 1 16-0unce package sausage (I bought Jimmy Dean Regular Flavor)
- 1/3 cup white flour
- 3 cups milk (I used whole milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
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Brown the sausage in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until cooked through (145°F) = (62°C). Crumble the meat with a spatula as it cooks.
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Continue frying the meat until you no longer see any pink, stir often.
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When the sausage is completely cooked, sprinkle the flour on the meat and add the milk, stirring constantly.
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Cook until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over biscuits or toast.
How do I store this after making it?
Let it cool down, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long will it be good in the refrigerator?
It will keep 2-3 days in your refrigerator.
Are There Some Health Benefits of Eating Sausage?
No one can claim that sausage falls into the “health food” category of meal options. There are specific concerns about the amount of fat and salt typically found in sausage. But it would be best to consider that sausage has some healthy aspects. First, niacin is one of the best nutrients for healthy skin, hair, and eyes. Sausage can provide up to 40% of your recommended daily amount.
Since most sausage is made from pork, you get high protein levels when you have sausage as part of your meal. Sausage is for you if you want to help build your muscle mass and maintain healthy tissue.
Healthy blood requires vitamin B-12 and iron to stay strong. These nutrients are essential for building healthy red blood cells and have other critical blood benefits. Sausage has a significant amount of these nutrients.
Can Sausage Gravy Be Made From Other Meats?
As mentioned above, trying different kinds of sausage, mainly made from various meat options, could be a fun adventure. Besides pork, you can purchase sausage made from beef, veal, turkey, and chicken. Those who try to limit their meat intake should research sausage eaten by their vegan friends.
You’ll probably find sausage options made with tofu (bean curd). Sure, each meat or meatless variation will have a different flavor and texture, but they all tend to be tasty when it’s sausage.
Can this recipe be frozen?
I have never frozen it after making it since we tend to eat it all—yummy! If you think you won’t eat the amount in the recipe, you may consider dividing the sausage package and freezing the other half. Then, cut the recipe in half. Fresh is best, in my opinion.
Final Word
Some people think sausage is best eaten in the morning as a breakfast meal. I love sausage in many variations, including sandwiches, a topping on a salad, quiche, and pizza. Be willing to try many offerings where the sausage is the main meat ingredient; you won’t be sorry. I hope you enjoy this sausage gravy recipe as much as we do; it’s delicious! Please let me know how you like to use your sausage, and I’ll share your ideas with my other readers. May God bless this world, Linda
I would eat this. Hubby buys canned sausage gravy. I don’t really like it, so I don’t eat the canned. Yuck! I really prefer my sausage and gravy separate. But I’d eat your recipe.
Hi Deborah, thanks for the 5 stars!! I did not know you could buy it in a can, oh my gosh!! This recipe is so good!! Linda
It’s Libby’s brand Sausage and Gravy. I think he orders it from Amazon or Walmart. Not sure. But one or the other.
HI Deborah, I never knew this, thank you, Linda
Can this be frozen?
Hi Linda, that’s a good question, I have never frozen it. I would cut the sausage in half, freeze the other half of the sausage package. Then cut the recipe in half. I worry about what the texture would be. Linda
I am not a cook, all thumbs in the kitchen. However, I love the idea of sausage in a meat pastry perhaps with some sausage gravy. Not sure what else to add for the filling, but we would be off to a great start with this base.
Hi Betty, that sounds really good. You could make this because my granddaughter makes it and makes chipped beef on toast as well. Linda
This is identical to the recipe I use, right down to the Jimmy Dean sausage. It freezes quite well, with no loss of texture. I found a small container in the back of my freezer that had been there a ridiculous amount of time—maybe six months? It was just fine.
Hi Barbara, thank you for the 5 stars!! Oh my gosh, we must have gotten the recipe from the same place!! That find in the back of the freezer is awesome!! I can almost smell it! I Love this stuff! Linda
I appreciate all your recipes, especially since I am not a great cook. My head unfortunately is in a far different place right now. All our planning and preparing and trying to be ready for whatever the world brings us, and then something like the building collapse happens and we are left to wonder……what if in all our preparations we miss out on today?? Just imagine finding yourself with nothing but the clothes on your back, if your fortunate to escape with your life. It makes all the stuff we have accumulated pale in comparison. Maybe after the last terrible 16 months, I’ll just get out today and smile at people.
Chris, that is a great idea. I’ll try it next time I go out. Well, actually I usually do. We live in a town that’s pretty small. Around 3,000 people.
There’s nothing better for breakfast on a cold winter (actually anytime of year) morning than biscuits & sausage gravy. I do admit I like it on buttered toast too, especially if I’m too lazy to make biscuits, lol. I will admit I do keep several of the canned on hand at all times, just for those mornings I’m really wanting sausage gravy and I don’t have any bulk sausage on hand. It’s ok, but no where near as good as what you can make. Love your recipe. Never thought of mixing the flour with the sausage before adding the milk. I normally make a roux then add that to the milk and sausage. I like your recipe better than mine. Sausage gravy is also good on grits with an added fried egg or two. Yes, I grew up with a mother born and raised in Tx. so I do a whole lot of southern cooking. Have a great day!
Hi Pam, I know, right? I have never had grits, but I have seen them on TV in movies!! LOL! Butter toast is good with it as well! Linda
Pam, I live in TX and have never eaten grits. I did taste of them once. They tasted more like sand to me. It was probably just the texture. My mother ate them, though.
I’ve made this recipe for years, to the delight of my family. I learned from my Dad, who learned from my Grandma. The one difference is I start off with warm bacon grease and add my flour to that, browning the flour a bit before adding milk and making a roux, then finally adding the cooked and crumbled sausage with plenty of pepper and salt…it’s delicious!
Hi Suzie, bacon grease??? Oh my gosh, everything is better with bacon! I will try that next time for sure. It sounds like we all grew up with sausage gravy!! Linda
Bacon grease is the absolute best to use when making popcorn! No need for butter afterward, either. It’s the only way I make popcorn anymore. :o)
I have tubes of Jimmy Dean sausage so I’m going to try this recipe in the next couple of days. I’ve always found your recipes easy to make; I don’t “do” fancy schmancy recipes. We like down home country cooking. I can’t wait to try this!
Hi Robbie, oh my gosh, now I need to make popcorn!!! I don’t do fancy-schmancy recipes either! If it’s not easy I don’t make it. I’m with you down-home country cooking. Linda
Could you double this recipe and pressure can it?
Hi Joakima, no it would not be safe to pressure can because it would have flour and too much fat. Darn it! Linda
Linda:
The only difference between your sausage gravy and mine is the fact I use both black and white pepper (just gives the sausage a little zing) and I don’t use a lot of that pepper because when it comes out the other way it can burn big time). I also use whipped cream and half and half. It gives it a creamy texture and a richer taste. Since most of the sausage I buy (which is organic and really does taste like homemade) has a low fat content I add some bacon fat that I save when I have bacon for breakfast or for making potato or macaroni salad. It gives it a great flavor and it tastes so good. I have to put half of it up before serving breakfast because it will be eaten up at one sitting. Can’t afford that.
Hi Jacke, oh my gosh, I forgot about white pepper!!! Oh my, whipping cream and half and half would be the very best!!! You use bacon grease when you make potato or macaroni salad???? Oh my gosh, why didn’t I think of that?? I love this! Linda
Linda:
I don’t use bacon fat when I make potato salad or macaroni salad but I do put cut up pieces into the Potato or Macaroni Salad. I make 5# of each every time I make it and I hope and pray there will be at least 2# left after dinner so I can save it for a meal the next day (I love having potato salad or macaroni salad for lunch the next day. I made 10# of Macaroni Salad one Saturday for my daughter to take to a 4 Sunday meal at Church and my daughter said there were 15-20 people there and I asked her if their was any left. NOPE they ate it all. In fact when the regular potato salad was gone they went after the potato salad I made for a friends Husband who can’t eat onions. He barley got enough to taste it. When I make potato salad for church I use a 20# bag of potatoes, 3 bunches of radishes, 3 onions, 5# bacon, a full bunch of celery, 6 bell peppers in assorted colors when I can get them that way, 3 dozen eggs and a gallon of Miracle Whip. I know I am missing something but I just can’t remember what. I know I put Hungarian Paprika on top of it. Just thinking of the Thanksgiving party at church when they have more than 20 people there and for the Christmas Party.
Love
Jackie
Hi Jackie, thank you for the 5 stars!! Oh my gosh, I have got to make some potato salad. I have never put radishes or bell pepper in mine, I will now. Oh, and the bacon, yummy! What brand of Hungarian Paprika do you use? I will order that brand. Those church members are lucky to have a cook like you! Love you, Linda
Linda:
I buy multi colored bell peppers, multi colored radishes, (I buy them at Sprouts Farmers market) I also buy my bacon there because it is chemical free. The Paprika is called Pride of SZEGED Sweet Hungarian Style Paprika and it comes in a 4 oz can. My sister sends it to me when I run out but you can order it at (www)spicechain.com If you can’t get it from them just ask them where you can get it and they will tell you. You can get it in a spicy form but for us this is what my mother always used and it was what my Father’s mother used when she was younger. (She was already in her 80’s when I was a kid and I had to baby sit her) She lived to 115. I don’t want to be mean about her but she was a old goat when I was a kid always picking on me. She hated my mom’s family because they came from Germany but mom was 1/2 Irish. So I don’t know what was going through the old ladies head.
Hope this information helps.
Hi Jackie, I just ordered that brand on Amazon!! Yay! I bought what you like, spicy would be too hot for Mark. I got the giggle over the old goat! Oh my gosh, my grandmother always picked on me too! She liked my older sister who was the first grandchild. LOL! Your grandmother lived to be 115, wow! Your information is awesome! Thank you! Linda
Linda:
I buy a Paprika called Pride of SZEGED Sweet Hungarian Style. If you like a spicier paprika you can get it in hot also. We don’t like hot I buy mine at Amazon. I could get my sister to buy it for me and then send it but She is having problems finding a place to live in. She lives in Ohio and she is having trouble finding a place to live. This is the link I found for it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3TnBTNl
Hi Jackie, thank you for the 5 stars my sweet friend. We don’t care for hot so I will buy what you suggest. I’m going to order a can of that, thank you! I found it on Amazon, Yay! Great suggestion, Linda
I love making gravy and my favorite way to eat it besides on biscuits is on slices of tomatoes. If you want to try a really good canned gravy buy Chef’s Made. I have tried other canned gravy and this is the best to me. This gravy you
can freeze and it freezes very well. Just warm it and stir it and it is just as good. I have use it at a place where I was a cook. Making gravy can be a challenge but just keep practicing. I use to work at a Nursing home and I made it by
the gallons. I have made this kind of gravy and used bacon and also ham. Also for mine if I want it spicy I use crushed
red pepper in it. If not I use Tabasco sauce on the top of it. Hot things like Tabasco sauce keeps your veins cleaned out.
Hi June, oh my goodness, I will have to try that Chef’s Made. I make good gravy but I would like to recommend a gravy to people. I love crushed red pepper, even on my pizza! Tobasco sauce cleans out our veins, yay!! Linda
If you can’t find small cans of Chef’s made gravy you can buy at Sams in #10 cans and break it down unto smaller containers for freezing.
Oh I forgot mom use to make gravy after she fried chicken and used the same grease and use the chicken crumbs. Such good grvy.
Hi June, oh thanks for the heads up on the #10 cans! I love gravy!! Linda
Good old chipped beef on toast. I know it by another name, but I won’t say it here!
Hi Karl, yeah that’s what my dad called it! Now, I have the giggles! Thanks for making my day! Linda
Karl:
You learned it by the same name I did S on a Shingle. I would get in trouble in school when I was young because my dad called it by that nick name. In kindergarten my mom did not have any lunch meat left so she made it for my lunch one time and I shouted the nickname out in class at lunch. From that day forward she made sure she had lunch meat for my lunch from that day forward. I was a corker in Kindergarten. I started at age 4 because I could read i just did not learn how to keep my mouth shut when I was supposed to keep my mouth shut.
Hi Jackie, best story ever, I got the giggles over the “I was a corker in kindergarten”! Lunch meat, oh my gosh, I love it! Linda
Biscuits and gravy isn’t really a thing around here but I’m going to give it a try. A friend who lived in Texas for a while has been telling me how wonderful it is. Sometimes I get a craving for mashed potato or some gnocchi with gravy. I love a nice double smoked farmers sausage (especially the Mennonite ones from Manitoba) and use it for all kinds of things. If you slice it up and cook in the frying pan with some bell pepper, onion, garlic and fresh tomato from the garden as a base it makes a really nice sauce to have with noodles. Also good for a small batch of soup. I make my own sausage patties using ground pork with bits of dried apple, nice to have some in the freezer, but I’ve never thought of making gravy with them. I’ve made a lot of bacon gravy with the grease but lately I mostly buy back bacon ends from a local supplier so not much bacon grease on hand any more. Sometimes I add a bunch of grated cheddar and turn the gravy into cheese sauce.
Hi Alice, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend. Your gnocchi with gravy sounds really good. Your sausage sounds yummy with dried apple!! I think if people can learn to make a white sauce/gravy you can make so many recipes. Adding cheese like you mentioned makes my mac and cheese recipe. We need to know how to stretch some of our recipes with more gravy and less meat. Unless of course, you raise your beef or have access to great meat available. Linda
We use Swaggerty’s, Owens or Farmer John sausage–been boycotting Jimmy Dean products since a relative worked in the plant in the 80’s. Then it’s homemade biscuits and gravy with eggs. Yummmmm!
I can handle the Libby’s sausage gravy in a pinch but homemade is much better.
HI Ray, thank you for the 5 stars my friend. I need to up my game and check out those other brands, thank you! Homemade is so good! Linda
Ray I use Swaggerty’s also. It does not have the additives I can’t have so if I can’t find it at the stores where we shop I buy it online. It is not very expensive either and they have other things
Hi Jackie, I’m going to try that brand as well. Linda