Biscuits and Gravy

 

 

Yep, you read the title correctly.  It’s biscuits and gravy time.  A vegetarian biscuits and gravy, I might add.

So, coming from the Midwest, I was raised on this stuff.  Healthy?  Not so much?  My ultimate comfort food?  Yes.  And, sadly enough, it’s one of the things I miss the most about being meat-free.  I grew up on holidays, eating this for breakfast, watching my mom make the roux and add the sausage-just waiting for my serving so I could gulp it down with some fresh orange juice.  I would beg her for this stuff-even for celebratory dinners as a kid.  It’s what I wanted.

Now, I am a firm believer that one must know how to make a good gravy, regardless of the fat source (meat or not).  Don’t mess around with a woman (or man) who knows how to whip up a good gravy.  There’s a lot of power behind gravy-making-you need the right amount of fat, starch, and liquid for it to turn out palatable. It’s a magical concoction of deliciousness (in moderation, of course).

When I saw that Courtney posted a homemade biscuits and sausage gravy recipe, I couldn’t help but stare at the computer screen and drool a bit.  While I had made vegetarian versions of biscuits and gravy before (think: last Christmas morning when I made it for my mom and dad, and my dad literally licked his plate clean…and then suddenly realized that he had just eaten a vegetarian version and was slightly shocked by how much he-the ultimate meat man-had liked my version), I was ready to tackle another batch with some new seasonings.  First things first, this gravy is not for those who are keeping track of calories.  (It’s gravy, people).  Instead of fat from meat, I opted for a butter base (yes, I know, how terribly delicious).  I made up for the “lack of meat flavor” by adding in some fresh sage and different seasonings.  And while I am not usually a fan of substitute meat, the soy sausage protein I used in lieu of the real thing actually tasted really good with all the additional seasonings.  It tasted cleaner, lighter, and a little bit more earthy than what I remember.  Topped on my cream biscuits, this was a great comforting breakfast (and dinner for the next few nights.)

Biscuits and Gravy

Servings: approximately 4

Ingredients

1 14-ounce package of vegetarian sausage *I used GimmeLean brand

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk (any %)

1/8 cup fresh sage, chopped, or to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cream biscuits

Instructions

1. In a large and deep (at least 2 inches) sauté pan, cook and brown sausage as directed on the package label, place the sausage in a bowl and set aside.

2. Using the same pan you used to cook the sausage, over medium heat, melt the butter.

3. Add the flour, and using a spatula, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, stirring constantly.

4. Once the roux is golden brown, slowly add the milk to the roux and whisk constantly until the gravy is thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

5. Once thickened, add your cooked sausage, sage, and seasonings to the gravy.

6. Serve over warm cream biscuits.  Congratulations, you just made gravy, my darling.

Source: A Curvy Carrot original

November 14, 2011 - 10:26 am

Melissa @ Kids in the Sink - I am a vegetarian too and have other meat-eaters in my life that aren’t too keen on eating meat substitutes. Perhaps I’ll give this a try! I’ll have to trick them but perhaps it’ll work!

November 14, 2011 - 1:22 pm

Marilyn - Oh dear. I also grew up in the Midwest, and therefore biscuits and gravy are a big soft spot for me too. I’m so looking forward to indulging again. Thanks. 🙂

November 14, 2011 - 3:26 pm

Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen - I’ve found that soy sausage is one meat substitute that actually tastes really good. I’m not a vegetarian, but I often buy meatless sausage because it’s healthier and almost as tasty!

This gravy looks amaaazing.

November 14, 2011 - 6:06 pm

kokocooks - A vegetarian version of red eye gravy!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Actually, I like the sausage version, but can’t get over how bad for you it is. This seems like a much healthier but still tasty option.

November 14, 2011 - 6:26 pm

Ann P. - I don’t think i’ve EVER had biscuits and gravy (from the West Coast–not quite as popular here), but this looks SO delicious that I may have to give them a try!

November 15, 2011 - 1:19 am

Jeff - Those look amazing! I would definitely be all over those! Great recipe!

November 19, 2011 - 9:00 am

Lauren - ohhhhhhhhhh wow, this looks DELICIOUS. I have wanted to try biscuits and gravy for years, but NO ONE makes a vegetarian version. Awesome! Thank you!

July 28, 2012 - 8:19 am

kaceyt - I totally agree with you about biscuits and sausage gravy being one of the worst things to give up! I’m craving it for breakfast right now! Your recipe looks delicious and I’ll keep it bookmarked, but I don’t have any veggie sausage right now, so it won’t fit the bill for this morning:(

August 2, 2012 - 12:56 pm

Kaitie - I just went to a breakfast-for-dinner dinner party and brought this gravy, and it was a hit! Even up against a real sausage gravy everyone said mine was better =] I added a little more sage than you call for and didn’t add the red pepper flakes and it turned out delish. Thanks for the great recipe!

August 7, 2012 - 4:36 pm

Neelam - I tried this recipe, and it came out delicious! I paired it with a warm kale salad with asian pears and tahini dressing, and miso soup. It was a perfect balance of heavy, warm foods and light vegetables. Thank you! I didn’t have any veggie sausage, so tried it without, and it was still delicious!

February 16, 2013 - 4:31 pm

Mr. B - I tried this using some gluten-free flour and corn-starch, as my girlfriend’s a veggie and gluten intolerant. This worked out quite nicely! She’d never had biscuits and gravy before, and when serving it up to her, I felt like I really provided the biscuits and gravy experience I so love. Thanks for your post!

July 8, 2013 - 5:00 am

Whole Wheat Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls (a Rosebud Remix) » The Curvy Carrot - […] a way, though,  I miss those things.  I’ve come up with a decent vegetarian biscuits and gravy since (although, I have to admit I now have a better version that my future brother-in-law asks for […]

December 5, 2013 - 12:27 pm
August 22, 2014 - 6:47 pm

Stephanie - I made this gravy for my husband’s birthday dinner this week and it was delicious! I can’t wait to make it again.