Engagement Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
“Engagement Chicken” recipes have always made me uncomfortable. It is typically a roast chicken recipe that is so good, if you make it for your boyfriend he will propose. I get that it comes from a different time, and it is probably meant to be cute and romantic, but I’ve been around the block enough times to know that it takes a little more than being a good cook to make a marriage work. Plus, don’t forget all of the other things you will be doing, including working full time, cleaning toddler shit off the walls, and don’t even get me started on the amount of hours you will spend in the bathroom trying to get small humans to pee. If you have to make a damn roast chicken for someone to see your value, they are going to end up fat and you are both going to be unhappy. We need to be teaching our sons and daughters to find a partner who helps out in the kitchen, or at the very least has expert take-out skills. I’m not talking about finally picking up the phone after you nag him or her 50 times asking for help, I’m talking about seeing that you are elbow deep in puke, and before you have a chance to even realize it is dinner time, the doorbell rings and your family dinner has arrived. Bonus if they ordered your favorite dish from your favorite restaurant. That’s when you make a special meal the next time you get the chance.
So, I like to think of this as more of a special occasion recipe. A “thank you for taking the kids so I can have a girls night” or “I appreciate that you put together that horrid 500 piece Ikea racecar themed bedroom set for Johnny” or “sorry I got so drunk at girls night that I puked on my shoes and spent way too much money at Nordies to replace them” kind of recipe. This way you will both probably end up fat, but at least you will both be happy.
Time in the kitchen is like therapy for me, a great stress reliever and I really enjoy cooking. So, if you are really looking for some kitchen therapy, make your biscuits from scratch. But I think your favorite store-bought biscuits that come in a tube and you just pop them in the oven are just fine, especially when you are smothering them in this delicious gravy. You could smother cardboard in this gravy, and it would be delicious.
Watching Mama Cook! Carolyn and her son Aven in Colorado.
“Engagement” Biscuits and Gravy
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 16oz tube of Jimmy Dean Regular Breakfast Sausage
4 T butter
4 T flour
¼ t salt
3 C milk warmed in the microwave to room temperature
1 t black pepper
4 of your favorite biscuits, cut in half
Directions:
Brown sausage and break into small crumbles. While the sausage is cooking, in a separate saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and salt making a roux, and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add milk, about a ½ C at a time and whisk until smooth each time before adding more. Slowly bring to a boil, whisking constantly and careful not to burn the milk. Don’t rush this process and lower the heat if it feels like the sauce is burning at the bottom of the pan. Once the sauce has thickened and is almost to a boil, turn heat to low and add the black pepper and cooked sausage. Allow to simmer on very low heat for about five minutes for the flavors to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Ladle over biscuits and serve.
