Email to Cat      

Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Bake

Source of Recipe

"The Southern Sympathy Cookbook" by Perre Coleman Magness


Recipe Introduction

"Biscuits and gravy is my all time favorite breakfast. I make it for myself as a special treat and order it at fancy Southern brunch restaurants, mom and pop diners, and fast food joints. This casserole gives you all the flavor of biscuits and gravy in a make-ahead dish that conveniently also includes eggs for a complete breakfast experience."

List of Ingredients

For the gravy:
â—¦ 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
â—¦ 4 green onions, white and light green parts, finely chopped
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups whole milk
â—¦ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the filling:
â—¦ 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
â—¦ 6 eggs
â—¦ ¼ cup whole milk
â—¦ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
â—¦ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the biscuit base:
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
â—¦ ¾ to 1 cup whole milk


Recipe

For the gravy:
Crumble the sausage into a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink in the center. Break the sausage into very small pieces as it cooks. When the sausage is done, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. There should be no more than 1 tablespoon fat left in the pan; drain off any excess. Drop the green onions into the fat in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and wilted. Add the butter and when it is melted, sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. It will make a thick paste. Whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble, whisking frequently to smooth it out. Add the sage, salt, and pepper. Cook until thick and smooth, then remove from the heat and stir the sausage back into the gravy. Set aside to cool.

For the biscuit base:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour with a pastry blender or fork until you have a crumbly mixture with a few larger lumps of butter visible. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring together, until you have a dough of a soft, dropping consistency. You may not use all the milk. Stir together until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, then drop spoonfuls of the dough over the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Use lightly dampened fingers to press the biscuit dough into a flat layer—you are not trying to completely cover the bottom of the dish, just distribute the biscuit dough evenly.

For the filling:
Evenly sprinkle half of the grated cheddar over the biscuit dough. Wipe out the mixing bowl, then beat the eggs, milk, sage, hot sauce, salt, and pepper together until thoroughly blended. Pour over the biscuit base and tilt the pan to distribute the eggs over the top of the biscuit dough.

Dollop spoonfuls of the cooled sausage gravy over the top of the eggs, again working to evenly distribute the gravy and sausage over the casserole rather than cover the previous layers. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the casserole.

At this point, the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake, remove the dish from the fridge while the oven preheats to 350° F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until heated through, browned and bubbly. Serve hot.

Serves 10