Biscuits! and gravy...

Some people are breakfast people and some are not. Our family is definitely a breakfast-eating family. Dear hubby is our breakfast chef; he makes frittatas, breakfast tacos, egg muffin sandwiches, casseroles—he is the king of repurposing leftovers into a delicious breakfast.

One of our favorite Sunday breakfasts is homemade buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy. My dear husband and I have been preparing this meal throughout our life together, and consequently, our sons have also developed a love for biscuits and gravy at breakfast. Although he takes on the role of breakfast chef, this is a meal that requires both of us. He prepares the gravy, while I make the biscuits.

The starting recipe for biscuits and gravy is based on the Frugal Gourmet Cooks American recipes. I pull that cookbook out and have noted the changes I make to the recipe in the margins. I always make a double batch too. My biscuits are based on "Harriet's Southern Biscuits" recipe.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 cup, plus 2 T all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• pinch of salt (1/2 t)

• 1Tbsp crisco

• 1 Tbsp cold butter

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

  
  

• 1/2 cup melted butter for dipping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 500º. We use Pampered Chef pizza stone and place it in the oven to heat while the dough is being made.

Combine dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add cold butter and crisco, cutting it in with a fork or pastry cutter, until it is mixed thoroughly. Add buttermilk, and quickly mix with fork to bring ingredients together. I add a bit of flour to the counter and shape the dough into a retangle, the trick I have learned is to roll it out and fold it into quarters. I do this a couple of times. The end rectangle is 9" x 9" or so, about 3/4 inch thick. I then divide into 12 -14 pieces. My last trick is before I drop the biscuits on the sizzling hot pizza stone, I dip them (both sides) into the melted butter. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until they are done and golden brown. We don't mind the wonky shapes or uneven sizes!

Biscuits are delicious with butter and honey or jam, but they are best served with sausage gravy!

My sausage gravy is based on Jeff Smith's recipe.

• 1/2 pound pork hot breakfast sausage (I use Jimmy Dean's)

• 2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 2 cups hot milk

• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

• 4 - 5 shakes of Cholula hot sauce

In a non stick pan, fry the sausage and onion together until the sausage is brown and the onion is soft and transparent. Sprinkle flour over sausage and mix in, cook for a minute or two, so you don't have a raw flour taste. Whisk in the hot milk. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and then season to taste, we like it hot!

Some of split the biscuits open and add the sausage gravy to the top, some of us mash it all together... some of us even have it on the side and dip the biscuit in the gravy... whichever way you eat it, it's delicious!

Enjoy!