Old Fashion Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage and Black Pepper Gravy

Breakfast the old fashioned way, just like Grandmother used to make.

Serves: 6
Cook Time: 14 Minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and divided
• Sausage Gravy:
• 1 pound Paula Deen Breakfast Sausage by Smithfield (either hot or mild)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 4 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana Style hot sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Steps

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly. Gradually add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Dough should be sticky. Do not overwork dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Cut 12 biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter. Place biscuits in a cast iron skillet or hoecake pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray and brush tops with half of melted butter. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with remaining melted butter before serving.

While biscuits are baking, start gravy. In in large saute pan or cast iron skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Reduce heat to medium and add flour to sausage; mix thoroughly. Cook until flour browns, about 4 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk slowly and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to stir. Add hot sauce, pepper and salt. As the gravy comes to a boil, it will thicken. If too thick, add additional milk. After boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add butter.

To serve place two of the buttermilk biscuits on each plate and top with sausage gravy and garnish with freshly cracked pepper.

Serving Suggestions

For a great twist, serve the biscuits on top of a bed of steamed fresh spinach.

This recipe was specially prepared and created by Paula Deen for Smithfield. Recipe and photo courtesy of Smithfield.

lalousiane
I just love Paula, I use to watch her shows all the time until my husband died. I fell on real hard times & can't afford the cable bill. I wish I lived next door to her, I think we'd be great friends. I love all of her recipes, I use to try them out on my husband, but now it's just me so I don't cook very much in the same way. Thanks a lot Paula, you are such a joy to watch.

Marge
I've made gravy before, but Paula's addition of hot sauce makes it much tastier! I still have to try the biscuits....I'm a little afraid being a "city girl" never having made biscuits before :(