Hardy Man's Biscuits & Gravy

Hardy Man’s Biscuits & Gravy
Dorcas Annette Walker

All you have to do to get my husband, son, and son-in-law drooling is to tell them that you are making biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I confess the problem is that I am not a big breakfast cook. It’s all my husband’s fault of course. I was prepared when I got married to faithfully get up every morning and cook breakfast for my husband. Imagine my shock when I found out that Dana didn’t eat breakfast. Just between you and me, it also was a relief as first thing in the morning the last thing I want to eat is something that will weigh heavy on the stomach and be full of cholesterol. Instead I always start my day off with a bowl of cereal.

Six years later we moved into the mountains of Tennessee and Dana was introduced to the mountain style breakfast of biscuits and gravy. Suddenly he felt like he had been deprived all his life. By then I was stuck in my morning routine of eating cereal with the kids. Like a good wife I also was concerned about my husband’s weight problem. So biscuits and gravy became reserved for special occasions. I began taking notes and talking with different mountain cooks in order to make my brown gravy taste like theirs. My daughter grew up and married Granny’s grandson, who is known for her gravy and biscuits. One of the first things Dawn set out to do after she was settled in her own home was learn how to make biscuits and gravy like Granny. Then my son married and his mother-in-law makes biscuits and gravy every Sunday morning. So even though my children were not raised on biscuits and gravy they somehow survived. With today’s hectic work schedules most mountain families now only prepare biscuits and gravy on weekends.

My Hardy Man’s Biscuits & Gravy is a filling mountain breakfast that will bring a big smile of satisfaction to the man of your house. Some serve fried eggs and potatoes along with the biscuits and gravy. You can also fold in small pieces of bacon, sausage, or shredded cheddar cheese to the biscuits before baking for a special treat. Using store biscuits saves time and what I used in the Hardy Man’s Biscuits & Gravy. Preparation time for my Hardy Man’s Biscuits & Gravy is about thirty-five minutes and this recipe serves four.

Hardy Man’s Biscuits & Gravy

1 (12 oz) pkg pork sausage- any brand
1 (16 oz) can jumbo buttermilk biscuits
½ c self-rising flour
4 c milk
½ tsp salt
pepper

Cut the pkg of sausage into ten pieces and fry in a large iron skillet until brown. Drain on a plate with a paper towel and cover. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake at 350º for fifteen minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile stir the flour with the sausage grease and brown. Add milk, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir briskly until smooth and bring to a boil until thickened. Serve hot over biscuits and with sausage!

Weekly tip: The mountain women use the metal spatula that was used for frying and turning the sausage to also stir the gravy as well!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net. For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com