Homestyle Biscuits and Gravy

Cook time: 20 minutes
Cost: 8 dollars

Ingredients:
Store bought biscuits (maybe one day when I have gobs of time they'll be from scratch)
3 patties of sausage (approx. 1/4 pound or 4 links, skin removed)
1 tbs butter
1 1/2 tbs flour
1/2 c half and half
1/2 c whole milk
1/2 tbs cracked black pepper
pinch of salt
2 sliced green onions (optional)

So "Homestyle" is a bit of a misnomer.  I don't think my mom ever made this at home.  Instead, we had fluffed steamed egg and eggplant cooked in preserved tofu.  But this is the kind of thing that requires the genteel mindset of a southern plantation with sweet tea and a southern drawl.

1.  If you're making your biscuits from a can, pop them in the oven now.  If you're making them from scratch, godspeed.

In a medium pot cook down the sausage over high heat.  You can pretty much use any kind of sausage from fancy Whole Foods organic sustainable mulch-fed or Jimmy Dean.  Cheap ass me chose the latter.

Try and keep the pieces pretty large -- don't break them up too much as they cook.

2. Once the sausage is cooked through and browned, drain it on a paper towel.  Of course, since I'm a fatty, I'm going to leave some of the drippings in the pot.

3. Notice the drippings in the pot.  Notice the brown bits at the bottom.  All this = tasty.  It also = clogged arteries so you can remove the rendered fat if you'd like.

Add in the butter and swish it around until it's completely melted.

4. Add in the flour and cook it up into a roux.  It'll become nice and caramel brown and smell like baking bread.  Probably one of my favorite smells ever (aside from fall-scented Bath and Body Works candles).

Notice -- nice, rich, caramel brown.

5.  Once the roux is bubbling, slowly add the milk.  Be careful as it can splash.  Whisk thoroughly as you add and continue to whisk over medium high heat until it becomes thick and bubbly, about 7 minutes.

6.  Finally, add the pepper and the salt and toss the drained sausage back in.  Turn the heat to low and let all the flavors come together for a minute or two. (Notice biscuits in the background)

Slice open a biscuit and drizzle with a generous amount of gravy.  Scatter green onions on top.  Extra, extra tasty with a nice shot of Siracha.

...And here's the same plate literally two seconds later...