Biscuits & Gravy Egg Sammies

This recipe takes two breakfast favorites and combines them into one delicious meal! Ground sausage is baked into the biscuits for an easy grab-and-go morning. Split a biscuit, spread with a rich gravy and top with a fried egg. Cilantro adds a bright flavor to the white gravy, but parsley or another favorite herb — such as chives or thyme can be substituted.

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1⁄2 pound ground chicken or pork sausage

• 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

• 11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1⁄3 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed

• 7 to 8 tablespoons half-and-half, plus extra to brush biscuits

• 4 large eggs, fried to your preference

• chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

gravy

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1⁄2 cup half-and-half

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

• pinch of fine sea salt

• pinch of ground black pepper

• pinch garlic powder

PREPARATION

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat until browned and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Break it up into fine pieces as it cooks.

Transfer the sausage to a plate covered in a paper towel. Allow it to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick baking sheet.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, and use a pastry blender or two knives to work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed in pea-size pieces. Stir in the cooled sausage.

Add the half-and-half 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time. Work the liquid into the dough until it forms a ball that can be pressed and cut. The amount you’ll need will depend on the moisture contributed by the sausage.

Place the dough on a flour surface and press or roll into a 6-inch circle. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut two biscuits. Reform the dough to cut out two more biscuits. Place all four biscuits on the baking sheet. Brush the top of each lightly with half and half. Bake 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.

While the biscuits cool, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour, reduce the heat to medium and whisk until a golden paste forms. Reduce the heat to low and rapidly whisk in the half and half. Slowly increase the heat, and continue to whisk until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cilantro, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

To serve, split each biscuit and spread about a tablespoon of gravy on each of the bottom portions. Add a fried egg. Sprinkle with cilantro, and place the top portion over the egg. Serve warm.