How to Make Sausage Gravy

Preheat a large skillet (cast iron or stainless is preferred) to very hot using a medium-high or higher heat setting.

Crumble the sausage into large chunks and add to the pre-heated skillet. Allow the meat to brown to a deep brown color without letting the sausage burn, then flip until the other sides are also a nice caramelized brown. Turn the heat down if needed to prevent scorching.

(Tip: I keep the stove as hot as I can without burning the sausage to quickly cook the carnalized crust on the meat. But don’t be afraid to turn it down enough to prevent burning. Every stove is a little bit different.)

Continue to brown until the sausage is no longer pink. Stir in the butter until melted.

Sprinkle in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for about a minute.

Slowly pour the milk (a few Tablespoons at a time) into the sausage mixture, whisking constantly until the gravy is smooth and thick.

Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. I use Jimmy Dean brand sausage and like to add another ¼ teaspoon of salt here but that makes a saltier gravy – you should adjust this to your personal taste. Adding another ½ teaspoon of black pepper will make you a spicy gravy. You can also add the optional cayenne here if you want some zip! If you plan to add the cayenne I would start with 1/8 teaspoon, taste and add another 1/8 teaspoon if you want.

Serve hot over warm biscuits, hash browns, scrambled eggs or anywhere that sounds good!