Grandma's Specialties Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly flour it.

In a large bowl whisk together 2.5 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Cut 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter into small cubes and use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Gently fold with a spatula or spoon until the dough just comes together. If dough appears too dry, add up to 1/4 cup additional buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time — dough should be soft but not sticky.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat to about 3/4" (2 cm) thick. Fold the dough over itself 2–3 times to create layers, then pat again to 3/4". Use a 2.5–3" biscuit cutter to stamp biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Reform scraps and repeat to make 8–10 biscuits.

Place biscuits close together on prepared baking sheet (sides touching gives taller biscuits). Brush tops with a little buttermilk if desired. Bake 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and keep warm tented with foil while you make gravy.

In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 lb breakfast sausage. Break into small pieces with a spatula and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Do not drain the pan — leave the rendered fat.

If there is excessive grease (more than 3–4 tbs), remove some leaving about 2–3 tbs fat in skillet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour over the cooked sausage and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste.

Gradually pour in 2 cups whole milk while stirring, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until gravy thickens, about 3–5 minutes. If too thick, add up to 1/4 cup milk; if too thin, simmer a minute longer.

Season with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional). Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm on lowest heat while assembling plates.

To serve: split warm biscuits in half and spoon sausage gravy generously over each half. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Make the hotcake batter: In a bowl whisk together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a separate bowl whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter until combined. Pour wet into dry and stir gently until just combined — lumps are okay. Let batter rest 5 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Brush with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or a little butter. For each hotcake, pour about 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle to make three medium pancakes. Cook until bubbles form and edges set, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes until golden. Keep pancakes warm in a low oven (200°F/95°C) while you finish other components.

Cook bacon: In a separate skillet over medium heat, add bacon strips and cook until crisp to your liking, about 6–8 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Cook sausage patties: If using fresh sausage formed into patties, shape into two 3–4 inch patties and cook in the bacon skillet (after removing most bacon fat) or separate pan over medium heat 4–5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C). If using precooked reheated patties, heat per package instructions or warm 2–3 minutes per side.

Cook eggs: In a small nonstick skillet, add a teaspoon of butter over medium-low heat. Crack two large eggs and cook to your preference: sunny-side up (cook 2–3 minutes until whites set), over-easy (flip carefully, cook 30–60 seconds more), or scrambled (whisk eggs, cook while stirring gently). Season eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Assemble Grandpa's He‑Man plate: Place three hotcakes stacked or side-by-side, add 2 strips of bacon and 2 sausage patties. Add the two eggs on the plate. Serve with 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup maple syrup on the side. Optionally drizzle a little hot sauce on eggs or sprinkle parsley for color.

Serve biscuits & gravy immediately while hot. Portion the He‑Man plate as shown. Leftover biscuits can be reheated in a 350°F (175°C) oven 8–10 minutes.

Storage: Keep gravy refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days (reheat gently, adding milk to loosen). Biscuits store 2 days; pancakes refrigerate 2–3 days or freeze up to 1 month.