Amazing Biscuits and Maple Gravy Breakfast

We often have breakfast for dinner. This is one of those go-to meals that we love to eat. It's also a great Sunday breakfast or for brunch. Although homemade buiscuits aren't required, they do add a wonderful and fresh touch.

Here's what you'll need to make about 6-9 servings:

Photo byEthan Calabrese

Biscuits:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup COLD butter*
• 1 egg
• 1 cup whole milk

First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Then, use a pastry cutter to blend the cold butter into the flour mixture until butter pieces are no larger than a pea.

Pour in the milk and egg, and mix just until everything is combined. The dough will be sticky, but resist the urge to overmix. You should still see pieces of butter in the dough.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. Lightly flour the top so it doesn’t stick to your hands, then gently knead it 10-15 times. If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour.

Pat the dough out to a thickness of 3/4 to 1 inch and cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass. I typically get nine biscuits, but depending on how much dough is sampled during preparation, it can yield up to 12.

Notes:

The key to perfect biscuits is using very cold butter. Often, the butter softens too much while working the dough, which can lead to less flaky biscuits. To avoid this, cut the butter into small pieces and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to incorporate it into the dough.

Biscuits can be made up to a day prior and stored in a bread bag or other airtight container. (They are incredible served fresh though)

For the gravy:

• 1 lb maple flavored pork sausage*
• 1/2 small to medium sweet onion, diced
• 3-5 Tbl flour*
• 3-4 cups whole milk*
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 low sodium chicken bullion cube

Brown sausage in a large skillet over high heat. Drain any grease if necessary. Add diced onion pieces and turn heat to medium, stirring often as not to burn. Once onions begin to soften, add in the maple syrup, stir to incorporate, and cook until it thickens a bit.

Next, add in the black pepper, bullion, and all but 1/4 cup of the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, mix the flour and remaing milk until a slurry forms. Pour while whisking into simmering milk and sausage mixture and continue to whisk until it thickens to desired consistency.
Remove from heat and add any salt if needed.

Slice a fresh biscuit in half, lay both sides open and pour sausage gravy over top. Enjoy!!

*Notes:

Yes, you can use a different sausage if you want. Hot/spicy, herb, turkey sausage... whatever you like.

The range of milk and flour measurements is so that you can make more or less gravy to sausage ratio.