Sausage and gravy. Is there anything more satisfying and comforting on a lazy, Saturday morning? While you may be tempted to run down to the local fast-food restaurant for a quick bite, you can easily make a sausage gravy casserole that is so good your Grandma will be calling for the recipe, and you will definitely add this casserole to your list of delicious make-ahead casseroles. This dish is made to be frozen (how reassuring is that to know you have sausage biscuits and gravy in the freezer?) but you can also bake and serve it immediately. The cheddar-cornmeal biscuits are not only delicious in this recipe but would be good served with slices of country ham, fall soups and stews, or alongside a platter of hot fried chicken. For extra bite, we used hot ground pork sausage for the gravy, but you can use your favorite blend of bulk sausage instead.
![Sausage Gravy Casserole with Cheddar-Cornmeal Biscuits](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/LR3-LdNQDZp-unokr7xNfVquFtI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/2649201_OverE_SausageGravyCasserole__09-2000-2c04ff71e810461a9a850d21964548a5-30b2d02709a7452f9b1d38efd456d27f.jpg)
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Ingredients
Sausage Gravy
-
1 pound hot ground pork sausage (such as Odom's Tennessee Pride Hot Country Sausage)
-
½ cup chopped sweet onion (from 1 small onion)
-
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper (from 1 small bell pepper)
-
¼ cup butter
-
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
-
3 cups whole milk
-
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Cheddar-Cornmeal Biscuits
-
1 ¾ cups self-rising soft-wheat flour (such as White Lily Enriched Bleached Self-Rising Flour), plus more for work surface
-
¼ cup plain yellow cornmeal
-
½ cup cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
-
3 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup)
-
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
-
1 cup heavy whipping cream
-
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
-
Prepare the gravy: Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Cook sausage, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet over medium, stirring often, until sausage is crumbled and browned and vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Wipe skillet clean.
-
Add butter to cleaned skillet; cook over low, whisking often, until melted. Whisk in all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thick and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in sausage mixture and salt; remove from heat. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, prepare the biscuits: Whisk together self-rising flour and cornmeal in a large bowl. Add butter cubes; cut into flour mixture using a pastry blender or 2 forks until mixture is crumbly and resembles small peas. Stir in cheese and 2 tablespoons of the chives. Stir in cream until ingredients are just moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, and lightly knead until dough comes together, 3 or 4 times. Pat dough into an 8- x 6-inch rectangle. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares, and cut each square in half diagonally. Cover; chill until ready to use. Arrange biscuits spaced ¼ to ½ inch apart on top of cooled gravy.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until casserole is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Serve hot.
Tips
To Freeze: After Step 3, wrap freezer-safe baking dish tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil. Freeze at least 4 hours or up to 2 months. When ready to serve, transfer casserole to refrigerator; thaw completely, about 24 hours. Unwrap dish; bake as directed in Step 4.
Shortcut Biscuits: Follow Steps 1 and 2 as directed. Arrange 12 frozen (unthawed) buttermilk home-style biscuits (from 1 [25-oz.] pkg.) spaced ¼ to ½ inch apart on top of cooled sausage gravy. Brush tops of biscuits with 1 Tbsp. melted butter; sprinkle with 3 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about ¾ cup) and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives. Bake as directed in Step 4. To freeze, follow freezing and thawing instructions above, and then bake as directed.