Cheesy Chorizo Gravy and Biscuits

If you want the ultimate savory breakfast, slather a generous dollop of this cheesy chorizo gravy over freshly baked biscuits! Your family won't be able to get enough of these! Making any gravy from scratch is not as intimidating as some people fear. It is actually quite simple. Let me break it down for you.

What is Chorizo Gravy?

Chorizo gravy is a simple gravy made from the drippings of chorizo sausage, along with flour, milk, cheese, and seasonings. This is a very similar gravy to sawmill gravy and is used the same way, most commonly as a breakfast gravy served over hot biscuits, fresh out of the oven.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Fresh chorizo sausage - Bulk pork chorizo sausage is best because you don't have to remove the casings from each sausage link. This same recipe can be made by substituting breakfast sausage as well.
• All-purpose flour
• Milk - Dairy works best when making a cream gravy. Heavy cream can be substituted but it will add calories.
• Shredded cheddar cheese - Mild cheddar melts the best, which is typically what I use. However, medium and sharp cheddar will each have a stronger flavor.
• Hot sauce - Hot sauce can be omitted if you don't want a spicy gravy, otherwise feel free to use your favorite hot sauce.
• Black pepper
• Table salt
• Biscuits - Use my biscuit recipe if you want to make them from scratch, otherwise you can just buy regular biscuits from the grocery store and bake them according to the package directions.

How to Make Gravy

Pretty much every gravy recipe starts out with browning meat. This cheesy chorizo sausage gravy is no different. If you are using Chorizo sausages in casings, simply cut open the casing and push the meat out. While cooking the meat in a large skillet you want to develop some browning on it because that will yield more flavor. Once it has sufficiently browned, remove the meat with a slotted spoon so you can start making the roux.

As the meat cooks, it releases fat drippings. You need a ¼ cup of this to combine with flour to serve as the base of your gravy (the roux). Drippings mixed with flour are no different than creating a basic brown gravy. If you ever don't get enough rendered fat you can additional fat like butter or olive oil to make up the difference.

When flour is added to the fat you want to continually whisk it. If you stop mixing you run the risk of scorching the flour, which will cause your gravy to have a burnt taste. Cooking the flour mixture is essentially cooking out the raw flour taste before you add other ingredients.

Adding milk to your gravy is what turns it into a sauce. Do this slowly to ensure it blends smoothly into the roux. Initially, the gravy will be thin and runny from the milk, but as you continue to cook it the sauce will thicken up. If it is ever too runny, just cook it longer. If it gets too thick, add a few splashes of milk to thin it slightly.

Finally, stir in the shredded cheese and let it melt, then add the remaining hot sauce and seasonings. Then place the gravy in a large bowl and serve.

The best way to enjoy gravy is over freshly made Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits. Sure, you can buy them from the store, but if you want a real sense of accomplishment, make some scratch biscuits!

Any respectable individual makes their gravy in a proper cast iron skillet. If you don't have one, a saute pan will suffice, but somewhere in the distance you'll likely hear a grandmother crying.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Chorizo gravy is great to make in advance because it reheats so well. Store leftover chorizo gravy in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to five days. It can easily be reheated in the microwave as needed. If you find it has thickened up too much you can add a few dribbles of milk to make it creamy again.

More Easy Gravy Recipes

This recipe was originally published on June 14, 2017 on FoxValleyFoodie.com.