DadCooksDinner

  • Home
  • Rotisserie
  • Recipes
  • Tools
  • Books
  • Merch
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Merch
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Merch
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cast Iron

    Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Skillet)

    Published: Apr 9, 2015 · Modified: Sep 10, 2017 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Sausage Gravy and Biscuits | DadCooksDinner.com
    Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Pan)
    Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Pan)

    I've always enjoyed sausage gravy 4I live in Bob Evans' home state, after all. It's impossible to avoid. but I didn't start to obsess about it until a visit to Portland and Pine State Biscuits. 5Before then, the kids refused to try sausage gravy. What’s this white glop you’re pushing? Eat it? You’re kidding, right? Being on the road in Portland made them more adventurous than usual, so they tried it. Now they can’t get enough sausage gravy.

    That trip made Sausage Gravy a regular at our Sunday breakfast table. After making it for months, I’ve found it just works better in cast iron. I don’t know why. Heavy duty steel or anodized aluminum pans do the job, but the recipe didn’t come together for me until I cooked it in cast iron. Maybe it’s tradition, maybe it’s the heavy metal, but I’m convinced I need a cast iron pan to do sausage gravy right.

    Sausage gravy is barely a recipe - cook a pound of breakfast sausage, then toast flour in the fat and drippings left in the pan. Whisk in milk, and keep whisking until the lumps smooth out and the milk reduces in to a thick gravy. Add salt and (lots of) pepper to taste, and serve on top of biscuits. You can find this basic recipe - with a ratio of 1 pound of sausage, ¼ cup of flour, and 2 cups milk - everywhere on the internet. My big change? I double up on the gravy, because my family can’t get enough. I add a little extra vegetable oil to the drippings in the pan to make sure there’s enough fat, then use ½ cup of flour and 4 cups of milk. 6Yup, that’s it, my big addition to sausage gravy - making more of it.

    Recipe: Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Skillet)

     

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Pan)

    Sausage Gravy (In a Cast Iron Skillet)


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: Mike Vrobel
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 1 quart 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Sausage Gravy in a cast iron skillet, made with the drippings from a pound of sausage.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 pound of breakfast sausage, formed into patties
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ½ cup flour
    • 4 cups milk
    • Salt
    • A lot of fresh ground black pepper


    Instructions

    1. Cook the sausage: Heat the cast iron skillet over medium heat for five minutes, then add the sausage. Cook until the sausage is well browned on the bottom, about five minutes. Flip the sausage and brown the other side and cook the sausage through, about five more minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate, leaving as much fat and drippings behind as possible.

    wpid7334-Sausage-Gravy-in-Cast-Iron-7928.jpg

    1. Toast the flour: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Let the oil warm up for 1 minute, then sprinkle in the flour. Whisk the flour into the oil, then cook the flour, whisking often, until the flour turns from white to a light blonde color, about 3 minutes.

    wpid7336-Sausage-Gravy-in-Cast-Iron-7930.jpg

    1. Simmer the gravy, slowly whisking in the milk: Slowly whisk the milk into the pan, adding about a half a cup at a time. Whisk until the milk is completely absorbed by the flour before adding the next pour of milk. (The flour and milk will get the consistency of a thin dough, with the milk completely absorbed by the flour. That's the sign to add another pour of milk.) Take it slow - trying to hurry this step will result in lumpy gravy - about 6 minutes to whisk in all the milk. Once all the milk is added, simmer the gravy until it thickens enough to just see the bottom of the pan through the bubbles, about 4 more minutes.
    2. Season the gravy: Seasoning is key - milk and flour are bland, and need salt and pepper. Whisk in salt and pepper - a lot of pepper - until the gravy tastes good. It will take more salt and pepper than it seems like it should. I whisk in salt in half teaspoon increments until the gravy stops tasting flat and start tasting sweet, then I add ground pepper until the gravy tastes spicy, with a hint of heat. Serve.

    wpid7342-Sausage-Gravy-in-Cast-Iron-7941.jpg

    Notes

    • How do you turn a roll of sausage into evenly shaped patties? I leave the sausage in the plastic casing, and use my serrated bread knife to cut through the plastic. I cut off the rounded end, and then cut ¾ inch slices until I get to the other end. I peel the rounded ends out of the plastic and mash them together to form a single patty. (If that patty is really a mess, I cook it, then crumble it up and whisk it into the gravy.)
    • Don’t want to make biscuits? I feel your pain. My wife’s the baker in the family, and she’s our chief biscuit maker. If I’m home alone with the kids, I cheat and use english muffins. Shh - don’t tell anyone. I’m sure the Southern Cooking Police have a SWAT team on call to take care of northerners like me.
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Category: Breakfast
    • Method: Cast Iron
    • Cuisine: American

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @DadCooksDinner on Instagram and hashtag it #DadCooksDinner

    What do you think?

    Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

    Related Posts

    Weekday Oatmeal
    Pressure Cooker Giblet Gravy
    Cast Iron Roasted Butterflied Chicken

     

    Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via eMail or RSS reader, recommend DadCooksDinner to your friends, and buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.

    Subscribe
    BirdSend Email Marketing Tool

    More Cast Iron

    • A bowl of cast iron Brussels sprouts
      Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts
    • Ribeye Steaks in Cast Iron Pan covered with Herbs and Shallots
      Cast Iron Ribeye, Pan-Seared and Herb Butter Basted
    • A Wagyu ribeye steak on a cutting board with wasabi, ponzu sauce, salt, green onions, and a knife.
      Wagyu Ribeye Steak
    • Cast iron skillet with a spiral of potatoes
      Cast Iron Spiral Skillet Potatoes

    Sharing is caring!

    Comments

    1. DAVID KING says

      September 10, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      Sounds good, I add sage to the gravy. Instead of biscuits sometime will substitute hashbrowns .

      Reply
    2. Janet Switzer says

      April 09, 2015 at 5:19 pm

      Try it sometime with 1 teaspoon dried marjoram and 6 tablespoons cold leftover coffee.

      Due to lactose intolerance, I keep meaning to make this with soymilk.

      Reply
      • Mike V says

        April 09, 2015 at 5:33 pm

        Coffee sounds like a great variation - thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Lisa says

      April 09, 2015 at 5:18 pm

      When does sausage go back in? This step has always been up in the air for me.

      Lisa

      Reply
      • Mike V says

        April 09, 2015 at 5:31 pm

        I don't put the sausage back in - I serve the gravy and the sausage separately, and pour the gravy over the sausage. If you want sausage in the gravy, crumble it up and stir it into the gravy after it has thickened and right before you season it.

        Reply

    Questions? Made the Recipe? Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner!

    I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

    More About Me →

    Popular

    • Three bowls of cooked Pinto Beans on a wood table
      Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soaking)
    • Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
    • Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
      Pressure Cooker 7 Hour Leg of Lamb (in 90 minutes)
    • Pressure Cooker Brown Jasmine Rice
    • Grilled Tomahawk Steak (Long Bone Ribeye, Reverse Seared)
      Grilled Tomahawk Steak (Long Bone Ribeye, Reverse Seared)
    • A green bowl full of chicken noodle soup
      Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

    Seasonal

    • A bowl of asparagus risotto
      Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
    • Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Garlic Butter
    • Sous Vide Rack of Lamb with Dijon Bread Crumb Crust
    • A bowl of beef stew with asparagus, carrots, and radishes.
      Instant Pot Spring Vegetable Beef Stew
    • A Rotisserie Chicken (Pollo Asado)on a platter of shredded cabbage
      Rotisserie Chicken Pollo Asado
    • Rotisserie Pork Shoulder Roast with Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
      Rotisserie Pork Shoulder with South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Dad Cooks Dinner

    42 shares
    • 10
    • 3