This creamy, homemade sawmill sausage gravy made with pork sausage drippings also utilizes the crumbled sausage for a chunky, gravy experience that you'll want to smother all over your biscuits. It's almost like a Southern-style sloppy Joe! It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and requires a few basic ingredients.
Sawmill gravy has a rich, savory, and comforting flavor. Milk gives it a creamy and smooth texture and the sausage adds meatiness, making the gravy flavorful and hearty.
It will give you a whole new gravy experience in terms of taste and texture. I also make this old fashioned tomato gravy and easy brown gravy recipe if you like the classics.
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What is Sawmill Gravy?
Sawmill gravy is a white, Southern gravy made with flour, milk and sausage or bacon drippings. The flour and drippings make up the roux base; the dairy makes for a creamy gravy. The cooked meat is added right into the sauce, making it chunky rather than smooth.
Sawmill Gravy Ingredients
- seasoned pork sausage - In this easy recipe, I use seasoned pork sausage for the meat component. You can buy loose seasoned pork meat or simply remove the casings from pork sausages.
- AP flour - To thicken the gravy.
- milk - I use whole milk for full flavor.
- fresh herbs - Such as rosemary, dill, thyme etc.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make it
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground sausage until browned evenly and cooked through, crumbling it as it cooks.
- Remove the ground sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and reserve. You need to have 4 tablespoons of grease in the pan.
- Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour starts to turn golden and smells nutty (a couple of minutes).
- Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to get all of the lumps out. Add the fresh herbs. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cooked ground sausage and heat through.
- Serve the homemade sawmill sausage gravy.
🤤 Hungry for more gravy recipes? Try my homemade ham gravy.
Joss' Tips
- Loose sausage vs. links. Opt for bulk sausage (not sausage links or patties), as I find that it crumbles better when cooked.
- Top up the grease. If there isn't enough grease from cooking the sausage meat, top it up with butter or canola oil to equal the amount needed in the recipe. If using butter, melt it in the pan with the drippings.
- Add milk gradually. Make sure to slowly pour in the milk while stirring constantly to help prevent lumps. Start with a little milk, stir until it's incorporated, then add more gradually.
- Serve immediately. This sausage gravy is best served hot over freshly baked biscuits. You can also serve it over toast, fried potatoes, or even with fried chicken.
Recipe FAQs
It is called sawmill gravy because it has its origins in the Southern region of the US where lumber was one of the main industries. It was cheap and filling for the lumber workers and it enhanced the taste and texture of biscuits. It is said that the original recipe was made with cornmeal instead of flour, hence the nickname 'sawmill gravy' (which I imagine wouldn't have had the best texture).
The main difference you will notice is that country gravy lacks the sausage, so it is smooth rather than chunky. The fats can also differ: country gravy usually uses butter whereas sawmill gravy uses sausage drippings.
If there are leftovers, store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheat over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove or in a microwaveable dish in the microwave. You can whisk in more milk to thin it out, if needed.
Serving this gravy over split biscuits is the best way to use it up for a true Southern delight! I also enjoy it over mashed potatoes.
More Delicious Homemade Sauces to Try
What did you serve this chunky, meaty, homemade gravy over? If you tried this Homemade Sawmill Sausage Gravy Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Homemade Sawmill Sausage Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork sausage meat - or pork sausages with casings removed
- 1-2 tablespoons butter - to add to the sausage drippings
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs - diced
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground sausage until browned evenly and cooked through, crumbling it as it cooks.1 pound ground pork sausage meat
- Remove the ground sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and reserve. You need to have 4 tablespoons of grease in the pan. (If there isn't enough grease from cooking the sausage meat, top it up with butter or canola oil to equal 4 tablespoons. If using butter, melt it in the pan with the drippings.)
- Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour starts to turn golden and smells nutty (a couple of minutes).¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to get all of the lumps out. Add the fresh herbs. Bring to a simmer.2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons fresh herbs
- Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cooked ground sausage and heat through. Serve.
Notes
- The fresh herbs can be a mixture of thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley, etc.
- For a thinner gravy, whisk in some more milk until desired consistency.
- Sawmill gravy is typically served over biscuits. You can also serve it over toast, fried potatoes, or even with fried chicken.
- Opt for bulk sausage (not sausage links or patties), as I find that it crumbles better when cooked.
- If there are leftovers, store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave. You can whisk in more milk to thin it out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Charlie says
So scrumptious, I could eat it as soup! Yum.
Joss D says
Lol thanks Charlie!