Sweet and Spicy Sausage Gravy

In a medium skillet, break up the sausage and cook till browned. Remove meat to bowl for later, keep the rendered fat in the pan.

Over medium low heat, slowly add flour to to fat, stirring constantly, to make a roux. Here is where you can adjust the amount of gravy you make. I use close to 2 Tablespoons of flour when making gravy for just my husband and me. You can add more or less at this point.

Crank the heat back up to medium and start adding your milk slowly, while stirring constantly. It takes some patience at this part – the gravy won’t thicken up right away. (But don’t keep adding flour or cornstarch to make the mix thicker – you will end up having to add more milk and having copious amounts of gravy…which isn’t always a bad thing!) The milk and roux need to cook together until bubbling (about 3 minutes) before it starts to thicken. I usually don’t add the milk all at once either – you can always add more, but can’t take it out, right?

Once the gravy is your desired consistency, add the maple syrup and stir to incorporate. Then add the sausage back in and season with salt and pepper. The gravy is ready once the sausage is heated through.

Serve over biscuits and enjoy!!