Hamdi Saidani Pioneer Woman Biscuits and Gravy is a 20-minute skillet breakfast where sliced sausage renders enough fat to build a thick, peppery gravy spooned over warm split biscuits. It only needs flour, milk, salt, and pepper besides the sausage and biscuits.
Ree Drummond posted this recipe on thepioneerwoman.com, where she pours out all the grease first, then adds back just the amount she needs. She browns the flour in the fat for two to three minutes before adding milk in stages until smooth.
Scraping the browned bits from the skillet bottom with a flat whisk while the roux cooks is what pulls all that deep sausage flavor into the finished gravy. Those stuck-on bits dissolve into the milk and season everything from the inside.
Pioneer Woman Biscuits and Gravy
Description
Sliced breakfast sausage pan-fried until crispy, then the rendered drippings get whisked with flour into a toasty roux and loosened with milk into a savory gravy served over halved biscuits.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice the breakfast sausage and place the slices into a warm skillet.
- Cook the sausage according to package directions until thoroughly cooked inside, then remove to a paper towel to drain.
- Place the biscuits into the oven and bake according to the instructions on the can.
- Pour the grease out of the skillet, then add back 2 to 3 tablespoons of grease for one to two people.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of flour to the grease over low to medium-low heat and whisk together immediately until smooth and stirrable.
- Stir with the whisk and allow the mixture to brown for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up anything from the bottom of the pan as you go.
- Pour in about a cup of milk while whisking constantly. If the mixture looks dry, lumpy, or pasty, add more milk until the gravy reaches a smooth consistency.
- Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, then let it warm up over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cut the prepared biscuits in half, place them face up on a plate, and spoon the gravy over the top.
FAQs
Can I use homemade biscuits of canned ones?
You can use any biscuit you prefer, since the gravy is the real star of this dish. Buttermilk biscuits and drop biscuits both hold up well because they soak up the gravy without falling apart. Ree Drummond uses canned biscuits because her husband Marlboro Man prefers them over homemade.
How do I fix the gravy if it gets too thick on the stove?
Splash in a little more milk, stir it around, and let it thicken back up for about a minute. Ree Drummond says you can do this two to three times without hurting the consistency at all. Just taste and adjust the salt each time you add more liquid, because extra milk dilutes the seasoning.
Why is salt so important in this gravy?
Ree Drummond says that without salt the gravy is doomed to mediocrity, because flour and milk on their own taste flat. Adding salt brings out the sausage flavor already sitting in the drippings and ties the whole dish together. If it does not make you want another spoonful right away, it needs more.
What if my roux looks too dry after I add the flour?
Add a small amount of grease back into the skillet until the mixture loosens up and feels smooth again. You want a good balance between flour and fat so the roux stays stirrable before any milk goes in. Getting this ratio right early prevents lumps from forming once you start adding liquid.
Can I toss sausage pieces directly into the gravy?
Ree Drummond sometimes throws a few small bits of cooked sausage into the roux while it browns for extra meaty texture. You can also crumble several slices back into the finished gravy right before serving for a heartier bowl. This works especially well when feeding a crowd alongside something like Eggs Benedict.
Can I use this gravy technique for other dishes?
Ree Drummond says this method works for chicken fried steak, turkey at Thanksgiving, and just about any meat with pan drippings. The process stays the same — take the rendered fat, whisk in flour, brown it, then add liquid until thick. Once you master it here, try it with the drippings from Chicken Fried Steak.
