Side Of Gravy Recipe

Cook sausage

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground breakfast sausage (no extra oil needed). Cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Spoon off and reserve about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat; discard any excess if more than 2 tablespoons remain (or leave for extra flavor).

Make roux

Reduce heat to medium-low and add the butter to the pan with about 1 tablespoon of sausage fat (if you reserved it). Once melted, sprinkle the flour over the fat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to make a paste. Cook 1–2 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and the roux turns lightly golden.

Add liquids

Gradually whisk in the milk, pouring in a thin stream and whisking to eliminate lumps. Add the chicken or vegetable stock the same way. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens to a gravy consistency, about 4–6 minutes.

Season and finish

Return the cooked sausage to the pan and stir to combine. Add kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. If gravy is too thick, thin with up to 2 tablespoons additional milk or stock. Keep warm on the lowest heat while serving.

Sauté mushrooms

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter or olive oil. Once shimmering, add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes to encourage browning. Then stir and cook until mushrooms are deeply browned and have released most of their liquid, about 6–8 minutes.

Add aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add the minced shallot and garlic to the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.

Make roux

Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir vigorously to combine, cooking the raw flour taste out for about 1 minute.

Add liquids and simmer

Slowly whisk in the vegetable stock, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3–5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream (or milk) and soy sauce or tamari. Simmer another 1–2 minutes until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.

Season and finish

Stir in the thyme, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If the gravy is too thin, simmer a few minutes longer; if too thick, thin with a tablespoon or two of stock. Keep warm and serve.