Vegetarian Sausage Gravy And Biscuits
Sausage gravy and biscuits is such a comforting southern breakfast. This is the vegetarian version of a recipe I grew up eating for Sunday breakfast.
It’s no wonder why I was a chubby kid growing up. My dad used to make sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast with Jimmy Dean’s breakfast sausage in a cast iron skillet. I would always smother the gravy and biscuits with ketchup. To this day, I still eat them that way. It’s good, I promise! Have you ever tried ketchup on your gravy and biscuits? Let me know in the comments, I can’t be the only one.
What Is Sausage Gravy And Biscuits?
Sausage, gravy, and biscuits is a popular southern breakfast dish. It’s made first by cooking a package of breakfast sausage and chopping it into small chunks. A creamy, savory gravy is made from the leftover fat, then the sausage is added back in and this is eaten over freshly baked buttermilk biscuits.
How Is The Gravy Made?
The gravy for sausage gravy and biscuits is made by adding flour to the fat that melts out of the sausage, cooking that a bit until it’s golden brown, making what is called a roux. Milk is then gradually added to the pan with the roux and whisked until it makes a creamy, smooth gravy also known as a bechamel sauce. Then, the sausage is added back and you have the gravy for sausage gravy and biscuits.
For vegan sausage, there usually isn’t enough fat leftover to make a roux so for this recipe we’ll use a little extra butter.
Should Flour For The Gravy Be Cooked?
I’ve found that many restaurants that make sausage gravy and biscuits don’t take the time to cook the flour. If you don’t cook the flour for sausage gravy and biscuits, the gravy ends up too light and has less flavor. For the best sausage gravy and biscuits, cook the flour until it’s nice and golden brown.
Doing this makes a darker, browner gravy that has a nice toasted, nutty flavor. And it’s so good over freshly baked buttermilk biscuits.
What Can You Serve With Sausage Gravy And Biscuits?
- Roasted vegetables
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Sauteed spinach
- Fried eggs
- Tofu Scramble
- Hash browns
- Roasted potatoes
- Omelets
How Can This Possibly Be Vegetarian?
You might be surprised, but the vegan sausage that’s on the market today is actually really good. If you use the right vegan sausage, you almost can’t even tell that the sausage gravy and biscuits is vegetarian. There are two brands of vegan sausage that I’ve found that make the best vegetarian sausage gravy and biscuits. The first, and most highly rated, is the Impossible Savory Sausage. The second is the Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage. If you can get your hands on either of those, they will make the best version of this recipe.
By the way, they haven’t sponsored me to say that. But hey, Impossible or Lightlife if you see this have your people reach out — let’s work together.
Can This Be Made Vegan?
You could make vegan sausage gravy and biscuits by using your favorite milk substitute instead of milk and substituting the butter with vegetable oil. I recommend using unsweetened oat milk or cashew milk, and using a mildly flavored vegetable oil like canola instead of butter. I don’t recommend using a vegan butter that contains water, the roux just doesn’t come out right. Then for the biscuits, you can make this delightful buttermilk-style vegan biscuits recipe by Nora Cooks. They’re so tasty!
At A Minimum, You’ll Need:
- At least a 10″ pan to make the gravy.
- A spatula for chopping and stirring the sausage.
- Measuring spoons and cups to measure out the ingredients.
- A lined cookie sheet or 13″ x 18″ sheet pan to bake the biscuits.
How To Make Sausage Gravy And Biscuits
Gather your ingredients. Bake the biscuits according to the package’s instructions. While baking the biscuits, over medium heat cook the vegan sausage according to package instructions, chopping it into small crumbles. Once cooked, remove the cooked sausage from the pan and set it aside. Note: If you’re using a regular pan, lightly spray with non-stick spray or oil. Vegan meats have a tendency to stick.
Add the butter to the pan and melt it, then add the flour. Cook the flour in the butter until the flour is nicely golden brown as shown in the image above. Note: Careful here, cook on medium to medium-low heat, the flour can burn quickly. Have the milk ready to add.
Add the milk and the spices, whisking to break up and dissolve the roux. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens into a nice gravy like in the above photo.
Add the cooked vegan sausage back to the pan with the gravy, as well as the maple syrup, salt, and an optional pinch of crushed red pepper. Simmer on low for a few minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Note: If the gravy is thicker here than you’d like, just add another quarter to a half cup of milk to thin it out.
Cut a biscuit in half and spoon a few tablespoons of the sausage gravy over the biscuit halves. Serve and enjoy!
Making Sausage Gravy And Biscuits – Video
What’s cooking?
RECIPE
Vegetarian Sausage Gravy And Biscuits
Makes 4-8 servings.
Ingredients
- 8 buttermilk biscuits, homemade or canned
- 1 – 12 oz pkg of vegan breakfast sausage
- 2 cups milk, plus more to thin as needed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp butter or oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
STEP 1
Bake the biscuits according to the package instructions. While waiting for the biscuits to finish baking, cook the sausage according to package instructions chopping it into small crumbles, then remove the sausage and set it aside.
STEP 2
Melt the butter in the same pan you used to make the sausage, then add the flour. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking often until nicely golden brown.
STEP 3
Add the milk, black pepper, and poultry seasoning. Whisk to combine, then bring to a simmer and add the sausage, maple syrup, salt, and optional crushed red pepper. Simmer on low heat for several minutes to allow the flavors to combine, then remove from heat.
Note: If the gravy is thicker than you’d like, just add a little extra milk and stir it in to thin it to your desired consistency.
STEP 4
Spoon over split biscuits, top with your favorite condiments, and enjoy!
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