A couple of nights ago my husband and I were watching the Food Network show ‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate Combos’. One of the featured combos was biscuits and gravy. My husband really wanted it for breakfast the next morning so I obliged.

I love this dish because it is so easy and it’s such comfort food. You can make it reasonably good for you too. I used a little bit of whole wheat flour in both the biscuits and the gravy. I like to get some fiber and whole grains in things where I can. My family had no idea. I also use 2% milk in the gravy to cut down on the fat. Believe me, there is no need for cream!

The biscuit recipe I got from my favorite go-to cookbook that I’ve had since college.  It is called Easy Basics for Good Cooking from Sunset.  I love it!  The only thing I changed was that I used ½ cup of whole wheat flour.  I’m putting in the original recipe, though.  If you all want to substitute some whole wheat you’ll have to remember on your own.

Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 C. all-purpose unbleached flour
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 T. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 5 Tbls. solid shortening (I used butter flavored)
• ¾ C. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450º F.  In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until it is like coarse cornmeal.  Make a well in the center and pour in milk all at once. stir with a fork until dough cleans sides of bowl.

With your hands, gather dough into a ball; turn out onto a lightly floured board.  Knead about 10 times (dough will feel light and soft, but not sticky).  Roll out our pat dough into a ½ -inch-thick circle.  Using a floured 2-inch cutter (I use a can), cut biscuit rounds as close together as possible, since rerolling toughens dough.  Fit leftover bits of dough together, pat smooth and cut.  Place biscuits close together (for soft sides) or 1 inch apart (for crispy sides) on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.  Quantity will vary depending on the size of you cutter.  My cutter was a little bit bigger than 2″ and I got 8 biscuits.

Sausage Gravy

• 16 oz. good bulk sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
• 4 Tbls. shortening
• 6 Tbls. flour (I used 2 T. whole wheat)
• 3 C. 2% milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring and breaking up.  With a slotted spoon, remove the browned, crumbled sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.  Add the shortening to the drippings in the skillet.  Add flour, stirring until blended and bubbling.  Gradually add the milk; continue stirring and cooking until thickened and bubbly.  Add the sausage.  If too thick, add a little more milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I followed a recipe from About.com, but doubled it.  You can find the original recipe here.

We made very simple scrambled eggs for this dish.  They were seasoned with salt and pepper only.

To serve:  open a biscuit, top with eggs and smother with sausage gravy.  It is delicious and deceivingly filling.

Eggs With Biscuits and Gravy