No more missing out on one of the best southern breakfasts ever! Biscuits and sausage gravy are now made gluten free, loaded with flavor and full of comfort. There's bacon in the gravy. Need I say more?
Way back in the day, when my husband and I first met, we used to go for a late breakfast at a local's favorite here in Va Beach, Rick's Cafe. It was a dive, but they had the BEST breakfasts, especially after a night out of fun. Haha! It was there that I fell in love with biscuits and sausage gravy. Rick's is still open to this day, doing better than ever I'm sure, but as a Celiac I can't even walk in the door cuz I'll probably get knocked over with all the gluten in the air.
Lucky for me, though, I can bake and recreate a lot of those foods and flavors I miss from my "BC" days (before Celiac). Lol! I've always been a biscuit maker, but cranking out gluten free biscuits was gonna be a bit of a challenge. Biscuits are supposed to be light and flaky and nothing gluten free says light and flaky. Nevertheless, I persevered and made the BEST gluten free biscuits this side of the East Coast. If you're paying attention, I posted those a couple of days ago. They're great on their own or with butter, jelly, or a little honey. But I had to take it further, don't you know.
The Ingredients Needed to Make My Sausage Gravy
- Bacon
- Bulk pork sausage
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried Italian seasoning
- Half and half
The Process
BACON. Do I have your attention now? I never thought that bacon in sausage gravy would make a world of difference, but it is bacon so...need I say more? The bacon and all it's fat is the key to my sausage gravy. Not too much (if there is such a thing, really), but just enough to say, "that's bacon!" Start by rendering the fat from about 6 slices of thick-cut bacon that's been chopped (or do what I do and use kitchen scissors to cut them into pieces (lardon) right over the skillet).
Once the bacon is almost fully crisp, remove any excess bacon grease to leave about two tablespoons in the pan. Add the sausage and continue cooking until the sausage is browned, breaking it up in the pan. I like to use this gadget (not an affiliate link) for breaking up the sausage. Sprinkle with cornstarch and the spices and stir, cooking for about one minute until the starch has been fully absorbed by the fat. Slowly add the half and half and continue stirring until the gravy has thickened. And that's it! It seriously couldn't be simpler to whip up this gluten free sausage gravy!!
Sausage Gravy FAQs
Yes, you can (although the bacon really gives a lot of extra savory flavor). Just brown the sausage in the skillet without the bacon, adding a little extra fat in the form of either bacon grease, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Proceed as directed.
Easy peasy. Combine 2 tablespoons dried basil and oregano with 1 tablespoon rosemary, ½ tablespoon of marjoram, and ½ tablespoon of thyme. Measure out the 1 teaspoon you'll need for the gravy and store the rest in your spice drawer/cabinet for another recipe.
Absolutely! The traditional is to serve it over biscuits, but any bread will work.
Yes, it does! Place fully cooled sausage gravy in an airtight container or a ziptop freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or add frozen block to a saucepan with enough milk or half and half to cover the bottom ½ inch of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer until all of the gravy has been heated through.
More Breakfast and Brunch Ideas
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Bagels
- Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins
- Basil Cream Biscuits
- Orange Rolls
- Quiche Lorraine
- Pineapple Coconut Muffins
- Cinnamon Roll Wreath
- Incredible Yeast Donuts
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Apple Crumb Muffins
- Apple Turnovers
- Breakfast Potatoes
What's your favorite comfort breakfast?
Gluten Free Sausage Gravy
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 lb pork sausage
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 cups (720 ml) half and half
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Over a large skillet, cut bacon using kitchen shears into small pieces (or cut on cutting board and add to skillet).
- Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until almost fully crisp. Skim off all bacon grease except for roughly 2 tbsp. Add sausage and continue to cook until sausage is browned and crumbled.
- Stir in cornstarch, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add half and half and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until gravy is thickened. You can add a little more half and half or milk to thin, if needed. Serve over warm biscuits or toast.
Notes
- To reheat leftover sausage gravy, scoop into small saucepan and heat over low to medium-low heat until bubbly. A tablespoon or two of half and half or milk may be needed to loosen it up.
- This can be made gluten filled if you so desire. Just use regular flour in place of the cornstarch.
- Refrigerate for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to three months.
Alissa Caporelli says
Hi there! I just came across your blog and I am so excited to start cooking! Question on this gravy: when you cook the bacon are you adding any oil to the pan or just straight frying the bacon with nothing to prevent sticking? Also what’s your favorite bacon brand! Thanks!
Kim says
I never add oil to the pan when I'm cooking bacon because there's enough fat in the bacon itself to prevent it from sticking. However, if you feel like it will stick in your pan, by all means add a little oil 😊 My favorite brand of bacon at the moment is the cheapest, haha! Inflation is killing me right now, but normally I would purchase a thick cut bacon from my local milk delivery company, Oberweis.
Amanda says
What brand of sausage did you use in this recipe?
Kim says
Jimmy Dean all natural
Tabatha Baisley says
Gravy! Need I say more? 🙂 Kim, thank you for another great recipe! I had to alter slightly, because I didn’t have thick bacon or half and half. I didn’t have thick bacon, so I used 8 slices instead of 6 and I used 2 cups heavy cream, with 1.5 cups whole milk, because I didn’t have the half and half. It was amazing and the Italian seasoning added such a good flavor, that I didn’t expect. I would totally buy a cookbook Kim. Thank you for all of your hard work, time, and love that goes into these recipes. It adds normalcy to my kitchen, that I never thought I’d be able to have again! I appreciate you!
Kim says
Awe, I'm so glad you liked it, Tabatha!!! It is my husband's absolute favorite breakfast thing I make 🙂
Arin says
I am just curious for my knowledge of all things gluten, what works, what doesn't, etc. as I continue to build my skill with gluten free. Can you tell me why one of your gluten free flour blends wouldn't work, assuming they don't since you replaced flour with cornstarch? I'm going to make this with the cornstarch because I super trust and love EVERYTHING you create that I've made (and swear by your flour blends above anyone else's), but am just hoping to learn more. Thank you!
Kim says
Hi, Arin! And thanks so much for your kind words!! The reason I use cornstarch is pure laziness, haha! I do have a xanthan gum-free flour blend on my blog, which is something I would normally use for gravy. But my mom never has any of my flour blends at her house and when she made turkey gravy one year with cornstarch, it came out so good that I just stuck with cornstarch 🙂 You can use a gum free flour blend for gravy, but I wouldn't use anything that contains xanthan gum because it will tend to become a gummy mess instead of a smooth gravy.
Hope this helps in your quest to learn more 😊 It took me a while to get it figured out so I understand where you're at. Merry Christmas 🎄
Vicky says
Kim, I have been making your delicious recipes for several years. No one ever knows they are GF. I really prefer your zantham gum free flour blend over cornstarch for sauces and gravies but I can no longer find the recipe. Can you point me in the right direction?
Kim says
I'm so sorry, Vicky. I didn't realize anyone actually used that version, so when I did the website update I didn't keep it. I truly apologize 😞
If I can find it somewhere in my old notes, I'll post it again. Otherwise, another option is to use potato starch.
Vicky says
Kim,
That would be much appreciated! Thank you!
Vicky says
Kim, I used the Way Back Machine , the internet archive, and I was able to find the recipe for your zantham gum free flour blend.
Mary says
Take her word & my word for this recipe! I’m not a celiac & I love love love this!
Kim says
Thanks so much, Mary!!!! I appreciate your kind words 😍😍😍
Clareann Despain says
This is heaven. Thank you!
Kim says
Thanks 🙂 It's one of my husband's favorite things I make!