Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (2024)

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Diana Rattray

Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (1)

Diana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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Updated on 10/17/21

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 25 mins

Servings: 4 servings

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The term "sawmillgravy" comes from early logging camp food and old-time sawmills. It was originally made with cornmeal, bacon drippings, milk, and seasonings. This resulted in a somewhat gritty gravy; in fact, rumor has it that the loggers would accuse the cooks of putting sawdust in the recipe!

This gravy can be made with bacon and bacon drippings as well as sausage. This version is a sausage gravy, a breakfast tradition in the South. The base is a roux, making the gravy thick and creamy. It is up to you whether to add the chunks of breakfast sausage back into the gravy; it will bring interesting texture and wonderful flavor, but if you prefer a smooth gravy you can leave it out.

Sawmill gravy is the perfect addition to a Southern-style breakfast. Serve withsplit and buttered biscuits or creamy grits.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound sausage

  • 3 tablespoons fat, from cooking the sausage

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups milk, light cream, or half-and-half

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Biscuits or grits, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (3)

  2. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking up and stirring until no longer pink. Remove the sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.

    Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (4)

  3. Leave 3 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet. If there aren't 3 tablespoons left, add some butter, shortening, or bacon drippings to make 3 tablespoons.

    Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (5)

  4. Place the skillet back over medium heat and sprinkle the flour over the drippings. Cook, stirring constantlyuntil the roux is lightly browned.

    Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (6)

  5. Gradually add 1 cup of the milk. Stir to loosen any bits of cooked sausage from the bottom of the pan.

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  6. Taste and season with salt and pepper; keep stirring until the gravy has thickened. Add more milk or cream as needed to reach the desired consistency.

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  7. Add the sausage to the gravy, if desired.

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  8. Serve and enjoy on top of biscuits.

Tips

  • Although this is a relatively easy gravy to make, you will achieve better results if you follow a few tips. First, make sure to measure the amount of fat left in the pan after cooking the sausage; if it is more than 3 tablespoons, your gravy will end up being greasy. If it is less than 3 tablespoons, and you don't add any other fat, then the roux will be too dry and the flour will probably burn.
  • After sprinkling over the flour, it is important that you cook it long enough to remove the raw flour taste; 1 to 2 minutes is usually long enough, but then continue stirring and cooking until the mixture begins to turn brown.

Recipe Variation

  • To make a sawmill gravy with bacon,fry 4 to 6 strips of bacon in the skillet and leave 3 tablespoons of drippings. Proceed with the recipe and serve the gravy with the chopped up cooked bacon, if desired.
  • Southern Sides
  • Pork Sausage Recipes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
273Calories
21g Fat
10g Carbs
10g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories273
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g27%
Saturated Fat 8g39%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 596mg26%
Total Carbohydrate 10g4%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 120mg9%
Iron 1mg4%
Potassium 417mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • Pork Sausage
  • gravy
  • lunch
  • southern

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Delicious Sawmill Gravy Can Be Made With Bacon or Sausage (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between sawmill gravy and sausage gravy? ›

SAWMILL GRAVY VS.

These days, there really isn't much of a difference between sausage gravy and Sawmill Gravy, and the terms are fairly synonymous.

Does Cracker Barrel sawmill gravy have pork in it? ›

Sawmill Gravy seasoned and cooked with pork flavors, salt and black pepper. *May be cooked to order. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. **We cook our hamburgers and hamburger steaks medium, medium-well and well-done.

What is sawmill gravy made of? ›

Sawmill Gravy is a delicious comfort food dish with a Béchamel sauce that folks often serve on top of country-fried steak or biscuits. It consists of milk or cream, meat grease, flour, salt, and plenty of pepper. It can be either a white or light brown gravy, depending on the fat (butter or meat drippings).

What makes sausage gravy taste better? ›

What makes sausage gravy taste better? Sometimes sausage gravy can taste under-seasoned. This recipe is packed with flavor thanks to the use of chicken broth rather than just milk, as well as thyme, black pepper, salt, garlic, and cayenne in the final gravy. Spend time carefully deepening the color of the roux.

What is the most popular type of gravy? ›

One of the most popular forms is onion gravy, which is eaten with sausages, Yorkshire pudding and roast meat. Throughout the United States, gravy is commonly eaten with Thanksgiving foods such as turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing. One Southern United States variation is sausage gravy eaten with American biscuits.

Why won t my sausage gravy get thick? ›

Cook the Gravy Longer

Oftentimes, a thin gravy just needs more time on the stove. You can also use this method if you accidentally overdid it on adding stock to your gravy. Continue to simmer the gravy, uncovered, until enough liquid evaporates to thicken the gravy.

What kind of breakfast gravy does Cracker Barrel use? ›

Three hand-rolled Buttermilk Biscuits with our special Sawmill Gravy.

Why is white gravy called sawmill gravy? ›

The term "sawmill gravy" comes from early logging camp food and old-time sawmills. It was originally made with cornmeal, bacon drippings, milk, and seasonings. This resulted in a somewhat gritty gravy; in fact, rumor has it that the loggers would accuse the cooks of putting sawdust in the recipe!

Does Cracker Barrel have turkey sausage or bacon? ›

homestyle cooking since 1969. Two farm fresh eggs* with grits and your choice of Fried Apples or Hashbrown Casserole (410/430 cal) Turkey Sausage, Thick-Sliced Bacon or Smoked Sausage Patties (110-240 cal). Comes with All the Fixin's.

How do you make Trisha Yearwood gravy? ›

Directions. Add the butter and flour to a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until melted together and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stream in the stock while whisking and continue to cook until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in a little shredded turkey.

What is sawmill gravy called? ›

Sawmill Gravy

A creamy skillet gravy made with drippings, this staple—known by many now as just "sausage gravy" or "country gravy"—can be said to bolster up the entire Southern breakfast menu, and nobody makes it better than the old-fashioned, country-style breakfast joint in your hometown or your own grandma.

Why do they call it red eye gravy? ›

The dish gets its unique name from how the round circles of ham fat look like red eyes when floating on top of the coffee. It's also known throughout the South by other names like poor man's gravy, bottom sop, and red ham gravy.

What to add to sausage gravy for more flavor? ›

For an additional kick, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes along with the seasonings. Onions/Garlic can be sautéed with the sausage as well. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a splash of milk. This may be particularly helpful if reheating from a cold state.

What is another name for sawmill gravy? ›

Sawmill Gravy

A creamy skillet gravy made with drippings, this staple—known by many now as just "sausage gravy" or "country gravy"—can be said to bolster up the entire Southern breakfast menu, and nobody makes it better than the old-fashioned, country-style breakfast joint in your hometown or your own grandma.

Why do they call it sawmill gravy? ›

The term "sawmill gravy" comes from early logging camp food and old-time sawmills. It was originally made with cornmeal, bacon drippings, milk, and seasonings. This resulted in a somewhat gritty gravy; in fact, rumor has it that the loggers would accuse the cooks of putting sawdust in the recipe!

What was the original name for sausage gravy? ›

The history of the dish is debated, with some believing that it originated during the Revolutionary War while others trace the dish to Southern Appalachian lumber mills in the 1800s, hence the name sawmill gravy.

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