Sausage Gravy and Buttermilk Biscuits

Who would like to join me for some Sausage Biscuits and Gravy this morning?  I’m from Maryland but when it comes to food, I am a true southern girl through and through. My Mom was born in Kentucky and raised in Tennessee and all I ever knew was her southern cooking growing up. You can’t claim to be southern if you don’t know this next recipe. I am crazy about Gravy and Biscuits and make them all the time.

    
 Sausage Gravy and Buttermilk Biscuits

1 pound sage pork breakfast sausage , or any kind you like

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the sausage until brown and crumbly. If excess oil, drain while keeping a tablespoon of the sausage oil in the pan. Add the butter and stir well until melted.

   

  



















Sprinkle sausage with flour, stir, and allow to cook for several minutes.  Add the milk and stir. Continue stirring occasionally over medium heat until gravy thickens, 5-10 minutes

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter, cut into small chunks about the size of sugar cubes
1 cup very cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Toss the butter chunks into the flour mixture.   Using a fork or pastry cutter, mash the butter chunks into quarter-sized pieces.  

Mix the cold buttermilk into the flour/butter mixture, tossing briskly with a fork to evenly distribute the buttermilk so no dry bits of flour are visible.  The dough will be sticky but should clear the sides of the bowl.

Scrape the biscuit mixture out onto a lightly-floured work surface and gather, with floured hands, into a ball.  Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.  Fold into thirds and rotate dough 90 degrees, dusting work surface with flour.  Roll out to about 1-inch thick. 

Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, press down on the cutter, but do not turn or twist, dipping the cutter or glass into the flour after each cut.  Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet, close together.  Bake approximately 15 to 20 minutes, without opening the oven door, until the biscuits have risen and the tops are golden brown.  Remove from oven and split or cut the biscuits in half and top with the prepared hot Milk Gravy. Serve warm.

Biscuits Making Hints and Tips:

For tender and flaky biscuits, make sure the butter is as cold as you can get it. I keep mine in the freezer.  Try to use your hands as little as possible. Excess handling causes tough biscuits.  

Always bake biscuits on cookie sheets or pans without sides.  The heat will circulate more evenly than on pans with sides.  Remove from oven and immediately remove from baking sheet.

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Mushroom and Gnocchi Marsala

I love this quick little recipe. One day a friend called to say she was stopping by and I said, “I'll make lunch.” I knew she was now a vegetarian so I had to think fast. I remembered she loved my Chicken Marsala and mashed potatoes supper I made when she came for dinner the last time. Why not put together something similar without the meat? I did come up with something that took me all of 10 minutes to make. It has now become a big hit for all my guests. It is delicious! I serve it as a side dish or a main dish for lunch and dinner. Everyone loves this dish. You will too!

Mushroom and Gnocchi Marsala

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

6 oz. mushrooms (I use white button or baby bellas, sliced

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)

1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine

1 package 16 oz. potato gnocchi

    

Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, sliced green onions, oregano, and salt and  pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken broth and the Marsala Cooking wine and scraped the bottom of the skillet making sure you get all the brown bits.  Add in the potato gnocchi.

Cover the skillet and increase heat to high. Cook for about 3 minutes. The liquid will boil and the cooking wine will burn off. Remove lid and garnish with green onion if desired. Serve immediately.   

Total time to make this recipe is about 10 minutes. This is a keeper my friends.

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Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs and Rice

You know, sometimes you want to make something for dinner that doesn’t take a lot of time and fuss.  You want something that doesn’t require a lot of prep time or a lot of dishes and utensils to make it.  You know…. something you can throw in a skillet and put on top of the stove and then go turn on some music and read a few chapters in your favorite book. But not so fast there….you still want a hearty dish that is comforting and full of all the delicious flavors as if you had cooked it all day.  I got it.  This is it. Takes only a few minutes to get it started and then you can walk away and forget it.  Go get that book ready.

Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs and Rice

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup flour for dredging

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked white rice

2 1/4 cup chicken stock

Pat the chicken with paper towels to remove moisture. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Add flour to a shallow dish then season liberally with seasoned salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken thigh into the seasoned flour, tapping off any excess, then place onto a plate.

Heat extra virgin olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sauté until the skin has browned on both sides…..about 2-3 minutes per side. Thighs do not need to be cooked through as they will continue cooking later.  Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic and sauté until just tender. Add the chicken stock to the same skillet and heat on medium high. Stir in the uncooked rice. 

Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet to blend in with the rice mixture. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. 

Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture, cover with lid and let cook an additional 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is done, rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  

Sprinkle with additional parsley and serve.

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Need something quick for lunch or dinner?  This chicken is so quick and easy and simply delicious!  I use chicken breasts and coat them with Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs and then pan fry them until they are crispy. You can use chicken breast cutlets for an even quicker recipe.  I also like to slice them up and lay them on top of my salads.  So good!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2-4 chicken breast or 1 pound of chicken breast cutlets

salt and pepper

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

 

Set up a breading station with three bowls. One bowl will have your beaten eggs. The second will have your parmesan cheese and the third will have your panko bread crumbs.

 

Lay the chicken breasts out on a cutting board and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. 

 

 




Strip the leaves from the fresh rosemary sprig and mince them finely with a knife. Add the minced rosemary to the egg bowl, then whisk the eggs and rosemary together until combined. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy skillet and set on medium high heat while you bread the chicken.  

 

 

  

 

First dip each chicken cutlet into the parmesan cheese.  Next dip the chicken into the beaten egg and shake off any excess. Finally dip into the panko bread crumbs.

 

Add 2 or 3 chicken breasts or cutlets at a time to the heated skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. 

 Do not crowd  your skillet or they will not get crispy. 

 

Serve for lunch or dinner with a side or slice up for a salad!  Yum.

 

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