The cheap plate: Sausage Gravy

 

As I regain my breath from carrying in firewood, lets take a moment and regard Sausage Gravy.  A true Cheap Plate, and supreme comfort food.

We see here the results of roasting a family pack of decent quality sweet Italian sausage.  The $6.99 spent on these will make two, or maybe even three meals.  Tonight's sausage gravy dinner will use five links, leaving the rest for a pasta feast later this week.

The method is really very easy, and it makes a great midweek busy-house dinner that people rave over.

I'll give five of these sausages a pulse or two in the blender and turn them into crumbled meat.  That goes in a medium size pot with 1/8 pound of butter over medium heat.  Since the sausage is already cooked, we just need to heat it and get the butter sizzling a touch.

In the pot with about three heaping tablespoons of flour (any kind) and stir it in. Keep cooking over medium till the butter is gone, the flour soaked up, and everything beginning to brown a touch.  Then pour in at least two cups of milk, and keep the milk handy because it will likely take a little more once it thickens.  Up to another cup is not unusual, but you are the boss of the gravy. 

Keep stirring and bump the heat to medium-high.  Once it thinks about boiling it will thicken nicely.  Keep cooking and stirring for another 60 seconds, and then turn the heat to medium low while you stir another minute or two to prevent burning.

Now thin the gravy with more milk if desired, and start adding the flavor. In our house that will be chopped garlic, a handful of cheddar, a LOT of fresh ground black pepper, and some Aleppo pepper flakes.  Usually the sausage and cheese have all the salt we wish, but you do you. Stir it all in well and cover the pot. Leave it on low, or even off, for a good 20 minutes while the flavors meld.

While the sauce is getting happy, work with whatever you are putting it on.  Biscuits are traditional and now is the time to be popping them in the oven.  Toast works too, and is an easy & cheap base for the gravy.

Today I picked up a pack of day-old Kaiser rolls for cheap, and they will be turned into garlic toast to serve the sausage gravy on.  Extra flavor, extra crunch, and the family LOVES it.

To recap, the family will be getting a favorite comfort dinner with all they can eat, and the four of us will eat for about $6.50.   That is a cheap plate by any measure.