Yummy Baking Powder Biscuits and Gravy
Baking Powder Biscuits and Gravy is Dad's version of Mom's Tea Party Scones with Lemon Curd! I thought it was a perfect Father's Day follow up and complement our Mother's Day post.
Teach the grandkids how to make a wonderful breakfast for dad and a great meal for themselves anytime. Then they won't starve when out on their own!
My Home-Ec students feel like superstars when they make baking powder biscuits and gravy for the first time. They think gravy is such a hard thing to make before they do it themselves. Your grandkids will feel like superstars as well!
Baking Powder Biscuit Recipe
Don't you get such a kick out of this recipe card? Baking Powder Buscuits, ha! I typed this when I was probably 11 or 12 on my mom's old manual typewriter! It is the recipe she used and it is still my favorite baking powder biscuit recipe. It's so easy and almost fool proof. You can tell how well loved it is because it is stained, yellowed and almost as soft as leather from handling. I miss you, Mom.
Mixing the Dough
This is easy peasy, any age kids will enjoy helping.
Mix the three dry ingredients together. Then cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or knives until crumbly.
Add about ½ of the milk and stir. Slowly add the remaining milk, a little bit at a time until the dough is soft but not sticky when mixed. You may not use all the milk.
Cutting Out the Baking Powder Biscuits
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat out to ½ inch thick. (I don't knead my dough, I find it gets too tough.) I usually have to keep the kids from rolling the dough out too thin because it's so fun to use the rolling pin.
Use a round biscuit cutter to cut nice, well, round biscuits! Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat this with the extra dough and then make a little blob biscuit out of the last bit of dough. I'm so technical here, aren't I? Put the biscuits in the oven to bake. It takes about 15 minutes and the biscuits will be golden brown when done.
Tip: When I'm in a hurry I put the dough directly onto the ungreased cookie sheet. I pat it out into a square that is ½ inch thick and cut into squares. Boom. Done. It cuts the prep time down significantly.
Gravy Recipe
Gravy looks like it is so hard to make. Not so. Making gravy is a great skill for every child to learn. While the biscuits are baking go ahead and make the gravy.
Sausage Grease- the Secret To Gravy Success
Brown 1 pound of sausage in a skillet. Be careful with the kids around the stove and hot grease. You may be more comfortable having this step done ahead of time with young grands. Separate out the meat but be sure to save the sausage grease.
Use the grease off of the meat as part of your 4 Tablespoons of fat for the recipe. This is what gives the gravy such good flavor. Add additional butter to make it a full 4 Tablespoons if there isn't enough from the meat.
Tip: You can substitute other types of meat, such as bacon, if preferred. You can also use 4 Tablespoons of butter alone if you don't want to use meat in the gravy.
You Can Make a Roux Too!
I make the gravy in the same skillet as I browned the sausage, but you can use a medium saucepan if you prefer. Add the flour to the grease and stir with a whisk. It will make a thick consistency called a roux (pronounced roo, which rhymes with boo). This is a great Scrabble word to know to use up that "x" tile! You're welcome.
Add the milk. This always looks like it won't work, but encourage the kids to gently whisk until the roux dissolves into the milk. Emphasize gently so you don't have milk down in your burners or all over your stove. As the gravy slowly heats it will thicken.
Sausage Gravy, Yum
Add ½ of the meat back into the gravy (use the other half on pizza or in eggs). If the gravy gets too thick as you wait for the biscuits to come out of the oven, just stir in a bit more milk before serving.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Note: It is possible to make the roux with the meat and the fat all together if you want. But, that takes a bit of skill to decide if there is enough fat, the full 4 Tablespoons. Perhaps that can be saved for the second time you make gravy together!
Tip: When making a gravy or sauce that is a medium consistency, the recipe ratio is a roux of 2 Tablespoons fat and 2 Tablespoons flour to thicken 1 cup of milk. You can make the gravy thicker or thinner by increasing or decreasing the amount of fat and flour that you use to the 1 cup of milk.
Serve It Up for Dad (and save some for Papa)
Let the kids serve a plate of yummy baking powder biscuits and gravy for their dad. Papa is glad to taste test this one for you for supper! It gets a thumbs up.
ENJOY!
If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.
Father's Day Yummy Baking Powder Biscuits and Gravy Recipe
Fathers Day Yummy Baking Powder Biscuits and Gravy
Equipment
- Skillet
- Spatula/turner
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Pastry blender
- Baking sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Biscuit cutter
- Whisk
Ingredients
- Baking Powder Biscuits:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 Tablespoons shortening
- ½-2/3 cup milk
- Gravy:
- 1 pound sausage
- 4 tablespoons fat use grease from meat and add butter if not enough
- 4 tablespoons flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Baking Powder Biscuit Instructions:
- Mix the three dry ingredients together.
- Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or knives.
- Add about ½ of the milk and stir. Slowly add the remaining milk, a little bit at a time until the dough is soft but not sticky when mixed. You may not use all the milk.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat out to ½ inch thick.
- Use a round biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits
- Place on an uncreased cookie sheet.
- Bake in 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes, biscuits will be golden brown
- Gravy Instructions:
- Brown 1 pound of sausage in a skillet.
- Separate out the meat but be sure to save the sausage grease.
- Use the grease off of the meat as your 4 Tablespoons of fat for the recipe. Add additional butter to make it a full 4 Tablespoons if there isn't enough from the meat.
- Add the flour to the grease and stir with a whisk, making a roux.
- Add the milk.
- Gently whisk until the roux dissolves into the milk.
- As the gravy slowly heats it will thicken.
- Add the meat back into the gravy.
- If the gravy gets too thick as you wait for the biscuits to come out of the oven, just stir in a bit more milk before serving.
Shelly says
Biscuits and gravy is great for breakfast but also makes a terrific "brupper"!! A Papa's favorite.