How to Make Brown Sausage Gravy
There’s nothing better than real Italian sausage added to your stuffing on Thanksgiving, giving it an extra layer of richness. But did you know you can incorporate sausage into other dishes on turkey day, as well?
Brown sausage gravy is a popular addition to any Thanksgiving meal. It stands out amid the sea of equally delicious white sausage gravy recipes you often see online. This one works better for poultry, and you can put the leftovers in the fridge to pull out for a delicious lunch. Smother anything from mashed potatoes to fat pieces of toast, and you’ll swear you’ve died and gone to gravy heaven.
So how exactly do you make brown sausage gravy? Luckily, we have some experience with easy sausage recipes, and we can walk you through it.
Brown Sausage Gravy Recipe
For the simplest brown sausage gravy, all you need are these six ingredients:
- Sausage of your choice — we’re fans of the Italian sausage for this recipe
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups of milk — preferably whole milk because lower-fat versions won’t thicken as well
- 2 or 3 tablespoons of bacon grease
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Brown the sausage in a skillet. Let the drippings stay in the pan, but remove the sausage and place it on a plate. Add the bacon grease and stir. Reduce the heat and dump in the flour. Stir until the milk, bacon grease and flour take on a nice, yellow tint.
Slowly whisk the milk into the skillet, keeping a nice, steady turn of hand until the milk has been entirely incorporated — make sure it’s thick. Drop the sausage back into the pan, along with all of the remaining seasonings. Stir well. Turn the heat down, and let the mixture cook on the stove for another 15 minutes. Serve immediately, or store in a container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Changing the Recipe to Suit Your Needs
One wonderful thing about the brown sausage gravy recipe is it can be modified to your needs or liking. Don’t have bacon grease on hand? No problem. You can cut it from the ingredient list and still produce a rich, flavorful gravy. Add a bit of collard greens or spinach to give it a more earthy taste. Slice up some mushrooms and add them to the sausage while it cooks for a pungent twist. Or, chop up bacon to make it more decadent. There are so many possibilities!
One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is using your imagination to tweak recipes to reflect your own taste, style and traditions. In fact, you can make our brown sausage gravy a new tradition to add to that list. We recommend making it once before the big day to ensure you get it right and enjoy the flavor. Make sure to download coupons from our website before you get our sausage to secure the best savings, as well.
Sweet and Spicy Twists: Try Italian Chicken Sausage
Our basic brown sausage recipe is as versatile as it is delectable. Two of the most popular variations on our sausage gravy include our premium Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage and our Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage. Whether you prefer chicken or you just want to try something new, these alternative sausage gravy recipes are surefire crowd pleasers!
If you’re in the mood for a sweet, herby dish, our recipe for Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage Gravy hits the spot. If you’d like spicy instead, try Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage Gravy.
Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage Gravy
Ingredients:
- Premio Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage — as much or as little as you like.
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups of milk — preferably whole milk because lower-fat versions won’t thicken as well
- 2 or 3 Tbsp. of bacon or chicken grease
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. salt
- Optional twist: 1/2 tsp. of paprika
- Optional twist: 1 tsp. of sweet basil
Preparation: same as our Brown Sausage Gravy Recipe!
Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage Gravy
Ingredients:
- Premio Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage — as much or as little as you like.
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups of milk — preferably whole milk because lower-fat versions won’t thicken as well
- 2 or 3 Tbsp. of bacon or chicken grease
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. salt
- Optional twist: 1/2 tsp. of paprika OR cayenne pepper flakes
- Optional twist: 1 tsp. of oregano
Preparation: same as our Brown Sausage Gravy Recipe!
Uncommon Uses for Sausage Gravy
Sausage gravy doesn’t have to be reserved for Thanksgiving dinner. There are tons of creative and delicious ways to incorporate it into your fall meal recipes. Although sausage gravy is typically thought of as a Thanksgiving staple or biscuits’ best friend, here are some alternative uses for it:
- Chicken and waffles topping
- Grits topping
- Coating for stroganoff
- Salisbury steak topping
- Green bean casserole ingredient
- Soup ingredient
- Meatball topping
- Meatloaf ingredient
- Shepherd’s pie ingredient
- Chicken pot pie ingredient
- A plethora of casseroles
And the list doesn’t have to stop here. You may find that sausage gravy goes well with just about anything!
Got Leftovers?
If you have substantial leftover sausage gravy from Thanksgiving, Christmas or another big meal, don’t throw it out! Refrigerate it immediately, and if you don’t use it up within the next two days, rest assured — it can be frozen.
One important thing to keep in mind if you choose to freeze your sausage gravy is that fatty ingredients will separate. When you take your gravy out of the freezer, you will need to thaw it in the refrigerator, which may take some time depending on the size of the container and the gravy’s ingredient ratios. Once thawed in the refrigerator, you’ll need to reheat the gravy slowly in a pot and stir any lumps out until the normal consistency returns.
Most gravy can be frozen for several months and still maintain its proper quality. If you’re storing your gravy in the refrigerator, though, don’t keep it there for more than two days. Otherwise, it will spoil.
Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy your new go-to gravy recipe.